


Tangled: The Series: A Speculative Continuation

by DaoAdreian



Category: Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure and Mystery, Black Rocks, F/M, Magic and Science, Mysterious Warrior, Prison, Redemption, sun and moon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-23 07:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 50,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13782828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaoAdreian/pseuds/DaoAdreian
Summary: This is a speculative continuation of Tangled: The Series post Season 1 written in a narrative format. It follows Rapunzel and her friends and their efforts to uncover the mystery of the rocks. Also, it covers Varian's journey to discover himself.This story will end with a grand finale.Part I: The Road to Redemption: CompletePart II: The Path in the Shadows: In Progress





	1. Imprisoned

**Author's Note:**

> Updated weekly. I've been using this story as a writing exercise to prepare for writing my actual series. I do lots of research to make this story as faithful as possible to the direction the show is going, but I do have darker plot lines that I don't believe the show would be able to follow. My goal is to have this story complete prior to the release of Season 2. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian is in prison and finds himself in a terrifying situation.

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 1: Imprisoned

 

              It had been a month since the battle of Old Corona. In that month, Varian had been given the sentence of solitary confinement under the pretext that the other prisoners would provide a negative influence on the young boy. Varian preferred to believe it was because they were afraid of what he would accomplish with extra hands. Despite his arrest, he knew that he had caused a lot of damage for the royal family. After the storm and the rejection he had faced from the royals and their subjects, it felt empowering to know that they couldn’t ignore him anymore. He had become too big a threat. He’d gotten their attention and they knew why he had done everything.

 

            _You failed. It didn’t work. Father is still stuck in the amber._

            Varian violently shook his head. His stomach felt hollow and he struggled to breathe. He forcefully pushed the thought out of his mind. It was easier to hate Rapunzel and her friends than to think about—that.

 

            He stood up and began to pace the length of his cell. Other than the fact that he was imprisoned by the very people who had betrayed him, he couldn’t complain about his treatment. Based on the food he was being given, he was pretty sure he was eating like nobility compared to his fellow inmates. He had been permitted to keep Rudiger with him, and was given a selection of books to read. He even thought his bed was nicer, but he wasn’t sure, he had only caught a glimpse of the other cells and their leering occupants. The only thing that was unbearable was that it was too easy to let his thought return to his home in Old Corona. Every time he thought back to what had happened to his father, he forced himself to think about how everyone had betrayed him. If he didn’t, he feared he would go mad. He nearly had the following weeks following the incident. Down deep he knew he was projecting his guilt onto Rapunzel, but better to blame others than to go insane.

 

            He heard a door open down the hall. Probably the queen coming to talk reason with him. He supposed he ought to appreciate the fact that he wasn’t being left in complete isolation. As much comfort as Rudiger brought him, he’d be lying if he said that having a conversation with another human wasn’t welcome. The first week he had refused to speak to anyone, except for one instance.

 

Rapunzel had come to visit him. In some twisted effort to reconcile with him, she’d brought a cupcake. Feigning innocence she’d told him, “Eugene brings these to me when I’m feeling down.” She said other things, but Varian had been too offended to listen. He had been so livid that he couldn’t help but yell at her.

 

“Feeling down! Is that what you call the pain and agony that I’ve been feeling, knowing that my father is still trapped! Feeling down!” He’d been shaking. “Oh, how I wish that a cupcake was all I needed to fix my problems, princess!”

 

She hadn’t been able to reply and left, leaving the cupcake on its little plate. It didn’t take long for Rudiger to snatch up the treat. Varian didn’t mind, the “peace offering” had been too insulting for him to even fathom consuming. Later, he heard that she had left with her friends to go follow the rocks. The thought of Rapunzel free to explore was agonizing to Varian. He was wasting away in his cell. He finished pacing and sat down on his cot, awaiting his visitor.

 

_Isn’t it a little late for visitors?_

            The footsteps came to a stop in front of his cell and he heard muffled voices. Something wasn’t right, he didn’t recognize the voices of the guards. With a jangle of keys, the door creaked open and someone slipped in. Varian stood up in shock. Two masked men stood before him and in one of their hands, a long knife.

 

            “Say a word and I’ll cut out your tongue.” The man with the knife approached Varian and pushed him against the wall, the knife against his throat. His companion stepped forward and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He quickly put them on Varian’s wrists.

 

            “What about the creature?”

 

            “Put it in a bag!” The man at Varian’s throat rasped out to his partner.

 

Varian watched as the other intruder pulled out a bag and cornered Rudiger. Terrified, the raccoon tried to escape. His frightened chittering was getting louder, causing the man to curse at him and pull out his own knife.

 

“Please—,” The knife bit into his neck, “don’t hurt him.” Varian whispered.

 

The men snarled at him. “Then why don’t you tell it to get in the bag and shut up or else it dies!”

 

Varian felt his heart pounding against his chest. What did these men want with him? They obviously had broken into the dungeons to get to him. The concept of dying was terrifying to him. Despite not wanting to go wherever these men were going to take him, Varian knew he and Rudiger would be dead if they didn’t cooperate.

 

Voice trembling, Varian softly called out to the raccoon, “Rudiger, I—I need you to do what they say. Go into the bag and be quiet.”

 

Rudiger’s large eyes looked at his master in fear. Varian had to look away as the man roughly grabbed the skin behind his head and shoved him into the sack. With the bag tied up, Rudiger had gone silent.

 

“Now for you.” The men’s attention was fully on him now.

 

“What do you want with me?” Varian breathed. A drop of blood slid down his neck.

 

“You’ll find out soon enough.” In a flash, a piece of cloth was violently shoved into his mouth and a bag pulled over his head. His captor removed the knife from his throat to sling him over his shoulders. The door creaked open as they slid out of the cell.

 

Varian tried to make a mental map of where his abductors were taking him, but with all the jostling he couldn’t focus. The gag made it impossible for him to think; his entire mental capacity was laboring to keep him from asphyxiation. He was beginning to feel light-headed when they came to a stop. While the bag stayed on his head, a hand came from below and ripped the cloth out of his mouth. Air had never been so beautiful.

 

After taking multiple gulps of air, Varian was able to tune into his surroundings.

 

_I don’t know where we are, but from the chilly breeze and the bouncing motion, we’re outside the castle in a wagon._

Compared to the escape from the castle, the ride in the wagon was quite pleasant. If he hadn’t been afraid for Rudiger and his life at that moment, Varian would’ve been able to sleep. Instead, his dread kept him alert. Calculating, from when the soft warm rays of the Sun fell upon him, he surmised that they must have been traveling for at least eight hours. With the exception of one moment where he had been roughly shoved under a blanket at the arrival of Coronan guards, those eight hours were uneventful.

 

Through the weave of the bag, Varian could tell they had entered someplace dark. After a few more minute, the wagon came to a stop. He was painfully pulled up by his shackled hands and led about, tripping upon the uneven surface, until he was brought to a halt. His eyes shut tightly as the bag was pulled off his head, the sudden influx of light jarring him. He heard a soft chuckle as he slowly forced his eyes open.

 

There was tall man in the center of a room illuminated purely by candlelight. He appeared to be middle aged and well groomed, but his attire was worn and starting to fray. His hair was pulled back into a bun. Apart from his hair, he reminded Varian achingly of his father.

 

“Welcome to our hideout, great sage” He gave with a bow. Varian couldn’t tell if he was being respectful or scornful. “I hope my compatriots treated you well?”

 

Varian remained silent. The question put him on edge. He had NOT been treated well. He had been threatened, nicked, and kidnapped. Sure, he didn’t want to stay in Corona’s prison, but this wasn’t his ideal escape either.

 

“You have permission to speak. Jerome, why don’t you take these shackles off our guest.”

 

To Varian’s right, a stocky man approached and unlocked his chains. He looked at his wrists and wasn’t surprised by the red abrasions they left behind.

 

The man in front, glanced sorrowfully at them. “I am sorry about all this, my dear boy. But we couldn’t risk anything happening along the way. We are wanted men. You’re a wanted man. I cannot begin to fathom the hatred you must have for Corona.”

 

“Where is Rudiger?”

 

“I beg your pardon?” The man furrowed his brow in confusion.

 

“I won’t care about what you have to say until I know that my raccoon is safe.” The man’s expression lightened and he gave another chuckle.

 

_Never mind, he doesn’t remind me of my father. Father doesn’t find humor in these situations._

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about your little friend. My men will place him in your chambers. I wouldn’t be surprise if he’s being fed right as we speak.”

 

Varian knew he hadn’t been himself since the ‘accident’, but his desperation and anger had fine-tuned some of his weakness, namely his willingness to trust. Nothing about this man said trustworthy. First, he’d sent men to kidnap him and they hadn’t been all too polite about it. Second, he was laying on the kindness way to thick. The chuckling was unnerving. Third, he was a man of authority and people with authority use others that are advantageous to them, until their worth is compromised. Varian thought bitterly of his “old friends”.

 

            “I must confess, I’m surprised at how young you are. I expected the wizard who nearly defeated the Crown to be a little more—wizened.”

 

            _Two strikes. I’m not a wizard and I’m certainly capable of more than he thinks. But he doesn’t need to know that._

            The man must have gotten frustrated with Varian silence, “You have my permission to speak. You can ask me all sorts of questions. A brilliant mind, such as yourself, must be full of curiosity.”

 

“Alright! Who are you and what do you want with me?” His tone was anything but cordial.

 

            Affronted, the man’s face darkened before he seemed to catch himself and offered a faux smile. Varian’s hunch had been correct; this was not a man without a temper. “My name is Alrick and I am the leader of the Separatists of Saporia.”

 

He pulled an ovular pendant out of his shirt. There was a latch on the side. Alrick flipped the golden locket open and showed Varian the symbol inside: a crimson stone inlaid with symmetrical golden swirls. The craftsmanship was admirable, but the stone reminded Varian of something he had read in his alchemical texts. The possibility of staring at one of the legendary philosopher’s stones made his heart leap in a way it hadn’t for the past month. The idea of conducting experiments with the stone was beyond exciting for him. Gold had so many scientific uses!

 

Suddenly, reality came tumbling down on Varian. The likelihood of Alrick having the philosopher’s stone was highly improbable. He kept referring to Varian as a wizard instead of as a scientist. An individual with interest in alchemy would be able to tell the difference between magic and science. Alrick probably didn’t abduct him to ask for his help in unlocking the secrets of an alchemical stone.

 

“I hope my men didn’t rattle you too much, my young friend.” Varian realized he must has been staring off absentmindedly as he got lost in thought. He shook his head, returning to the present.

 

“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. What do you want with me, Alrick?

 

The man’s countenance changed. His eye widened and his friendly grin vanished. “The Separatists of Saporia are dedicated to destroying the kingdom of Corona and bringing to pass the reign of new empire, one fashioned after the mighty Saporia.” He approached Varian, “One of our members attempted to recover the journal of Herz der Sonne to gain access to its detailed description of Corona’s tunnels. We though the plan was perfect, but unfortunately he was captured.” Alrick put a hand on Varian’s shoulder, “I was devastated. We were so close to achieving a turning point in our silent struggle against the tyrants. Months passed and thoughts of success waned, but then you happened!”

 

He moved his hand to Varian’s face. The uncomfortableness of the situation was almost too much for Varian. Only his father had ever touched his face in that manner. It felt too intimate as if Alrick was trying to make himself appear as a father to him.

 

“I happened? What did I do to restore your hope?” he said as he turned away from Alrick’s hand.

 

“What happened? What happened! You attacked the kingdom! You kidnapped the queen and nearly killed the royal family and their allies!” Alrick had a frenzied look in his eyes. “I’ve heard about the monsters you created, the beast, the metal men, all of it! I couldn’t believe the stories when I heard them, but multiple witnesses confirmed that the rumors were true! I knew that if I freed you from prison, I would get a powerful ally! Alrick grabbed Varian’s arms and shook him. “With you, we can finally get revenge on Corona and bring her to her knees!”

 

It had slowly been dawning on Varian that not only was Alrick not as benevolent as he tried to appear, but he was also a lot less stable than a leader should be. He trusted this man far less than he trusted Princess Rapunzel, which was saying something. However, he couldn’t just push him away. He was a captive of these separatists and they were sure to treat him far worse than King Fredric had during his month in the dungeon. There his life was the least of his concerns. Here, any misstep could be fatal.

 

“So, what do you want me to do?” Varian asked.

 

“Build your metal men, create an army of your beasts! Use your magical talents to bring down Corona!”

 

_Yep! He’s crazy alright!_

With great hesitation, Varian said, “Wow! This is a lot for me to process right now! I’m exhausted and I can’t think very well. Can I answer you after I’ve had time to ponder everything you’ve told me?” Varian gave Alrick the most exhausted innocent face he could muster. It wasn’t hard, he’d practiced a lot to prepare to face Rapunzel after she’d betrayed him during the storm.

 

At first the fire in Alrick’s eyes intensified, but soon they dimmed to be replaced with “fatherly” concern. “Of course, I should’ve let you rest right when you got here! I was too excited to me you that I forgot my manners.” Turning to Jerome, he said, “Jerome, why don’t you lead our young friend here to his room. And give him his raccoon.”

 

Jerome pulled out the bag that had been on Varian’s head previously. Varian blanched. Alrick noticed. “Sorry my boy, but when part of a rebel group, precautions must be made and followed.”

 

The bag was pulled over Varian’s head once more, but thankfully the shackles weren’t. Jerome guided him around the subterranean tunnels. Varian could hear people talking ahead and behind him, but whenever they seemed to approach others, the talk subsided and he passed them in awkward silence. He was relieved when Jerome stopped to open a door and let him inside the room. The bag was taken off and Jerome left without a word, locking the door on the way out.

 

Varian turned to look at his accommodations. The room was small but far from bare. A table stood to his right. A wash basin was placed on top it. To his left was a small cot, not unlike the one from his cell in Corona. Underneath the cot was a chamber pot.

 

_Well I sure have all the luxuries of life here._

 

Behind him, the door cracked open. A small, chittering sack was tossed into the room. Varian ran towards it and untied the rope keeping it shut. Rudiger scampered out and upon seeing his master, climbed up Varian’s leg into his arms. Varian held him tight, stroking the terrified raccoon to calm him.

 

“Oh Rudiger, what have I gotten us into?


	2. A State of Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel returns home to an unpleasant surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: 
> 
> This is the first piece of fanfiction that I have ever attempted. I love feedback! If you have any constructive criticism I would be immensely grateful. If anything appears confusing or even any grammar details (quotations, commas, paragraphs). I love to write, but the nitty gritty of novel writing and its quirks are something that I often fail to pick up on. I would appreciate it.
> 
> Any creative ideas are welcome too. I won’t promise that I’ll use them as I do have a relative idea of where this story is going, but theories are something that I’ll consider.

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 2: A State of Emergency

           

            The stillness of the early morning was abruptly interrupted by the galloping of horses. A beautiful white stallion and brown mare charged along the road leading to the walls of Corona. Their riders looking up at the protective structure with relief.

 

            “Oh, I thought we’d never make it back!” Eugene gasped.

 

            “You’re the world traveler, Flynn Rider! I would’ve thought you’d be accustomed to travelling!”

 

            Eugene gave Cassandra a cheeky grin. “Well, when this charming rogue goes on an adventure, he usually doesn’t have to haul around a block of ice!”

 

            Rapunzel tuned out her friends bickering to get a better look at the wall. Little over a month ago, the wall had been completely demolished by the black rocks. Immediately after, her father had begun the reconstruction effort. The wall was nearly rebuilt with a massive wood door providing the only passage.

 

            Turning to her companions she breathed. “Can you believe that when we left, we walked through rubble?”

 

            Eugene sobered up and looked at the wall. “It is amazing isn’t it.” Then in his typical joking manner, “Glad they didn’t forget about us and block the entrance!”

           

            Cassandra rolled her eyes and nudged Fidella towards the gate. Maximus followed closely behind.

 

            Rapunzel had thoroughly enjoyed her time outside of Corona, but seeing the familiar sun seal warmed her heart. Before leaving to explore the lands outside of Corona, she’d promised her parents to return regularly. As supportive as they were to let her leave the kingdom, she knew how hard it must be for them to see their daughter go.

 

            “So, Sunshine, what was your favorite place?”

 

             She thought hard. “I don’t know, Eugene, they were all so wonderful and enlightening, but I guess I have to say Batavia’s tulips were the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen! Now that I think about it, I have to find a place to paint them!”

 

            When they neared the wall, the guards spotted them. A squad was dispatched to intercept.

 

            “Your Highness! We are so thankful that you’ve made it back here safely! There has been an emergency. We are to take you to the castle immediately!”

 

            Rapunzel’s heart stopped. “What’s wrong, Tom? Has something happened to my parents?”

 

            “No, your highness, your parents are in good health, but we need to get you back to them.” He spun around to face his troops. “Rob, Roy, Bill, and Tim, you are to escort the princess and her cohorts back to the castle. Should anything befall them, you will be held responsible! Do not fail them! You are to set off immediately!”

 

            The four guards mentioned, stepped forward. Their serious faces did little to calm Rapunzel. The guards were brought their horses and placed themselves on every side of Fidella and Maximus. They were led through the newly established gate. It was only then that, Rapunzel noticed the extreme military presence. Once they reentered the kingdom of Corona, Rapunzel looked away from the wall to stare at the land before.

 

            It was Old Corona. The village had been abandoned for some time. The rocks and the snow storm had been too much for the people and they had left for the land promised to Quirin by the king. The chaos from the battle with Varian was still strewn about, but most of the automatons had been taken apart to be used for scrap metal. Varian’s lab was heavily guarded by another contingent of soldiers. Rapunzel didn’t dare look too closely. The painful memories were too fresh in her mind.

 

            Rapunzel had thought that returning to Corona would be a warm and joyous occasion, but it felt unsettling instead.

 

            _Don’t overthink it. This is just Old Corona; the castle will be just as you left it._

 

            But Rapunzel didn’t trust her reassuring thoughts. With what Tom the guard had told her, Corona was experiencing something truly horrible. Eugene and Cassandra had stopped their bickering and were looking at her with concern. They rode in relative silence as any noise seemed to put the guards on edge.

 

            When they approached the great stone bridge that connected the Castle town to the mainland, Eugene pipped up.

 

            “The castle sure does look splendid doesn’t it, Blondie? Think of what your parents will say when they see your new dress!”

 

            She appreciated his efforts to lighten the mood. Rapunzel smiled and looked down at her clothes. She had replaced her typical purple gown for a green one. The color was lively and refreshing to her. She loved purple, but sometimes a change was needed.

 

            The gate leading into the city was open, though there wasn’t much traffic. The Captain of the Guard was stationed there. Spotting the party, he ran towards them.

 

            “Your Highness! Cassandra! —Rider.”

 

            “Glad to know you never change, Cap!” Eugene smirked.

 

            The captain ignored him. “We are so glad you made it! The Kin—”

 

            “What is going on, Captain? The guards at Old Corona told me there was an emergency.” Rapunzel interjected.

 

            “There is, but I don’t think I’m the one to tell you. We’ll take you to your father.”

 

            The four guards that had accompanied them, turned around and began to head back to their posts. Rapunzel was pleased to see them go. Their presence had been making her apprehensive, but back in the city, things felt normal again. The Captain led them through the streets and various townsfolk, upon seeing the princess, waved enthusiastically at her. Determined to not let her fears be on display, she smiled broadly at each of them and waved back.

 

            Entering the castle doors, Eugene leapt off Maximus and graciously gave his hand to the princess, easing her dismount. Cassandra slipped off Fidella’s back and gave her father a hug.

 

            “I’ve missed you, Dad.”

 

            “I missed you too, sweetheart. You kept them safe?”

 

            “Yeah, Rapunzel’s easy, but sometimes you just can’t help but watch him,” she motioned towards Eugene, “do something dangerous.”

 

            The Captain chuckled. “I know exactly what you mean!”

 

            Cassandra’s smile faded. “Dad, what’s going on? Why has there been so much secrecy?”

 

            “You’ll find out soon enough, my dear.”

 

            They followed the Captain inside the castle towards the throne room. Once they reached the doors, the Captain opened them and bowed admitting the three of them inside.

 

            “We have guards stationed everywhere we can think he might go, but nothing has been reported!”

 

            “What is he up too?”

 

            Rapunzel’s father was conversing with his advisor, Nigel. At the arrival of Rapunzel, they both looked up expectantly. King Frederic’s face lit up at the sight of his daughter.

 

            “Rapunzel!” He rushed towards her and swept her up into his arms, twirling her around. “I am so happy to see you! I hope your travels were uneventful.”

 

            She was glad to see her father again, but the suspense had been building up inside her, since Tom had told her of an emergency. “I’d say they were, until we arrived home. Everyone has been telling us that something dreadful has happened. I can’t wait any longer. What is this emergency and why is everyone surprised to see me?”

 

            At that moment, Queen Arianna glided into the room. She opened her arms and embraced her daughter. “Once they told me you had come home, I came straight here. You look wonderful! I want to hear all about your wonderful experiences.” She sighed, “I wish we could have welcomed you home with happier news, but—” She looked at her husband expectantly.

 

            King Frederic gave a deep sigh and retired to his chair. “The boy, Varian, escaped about a week ago.”

 

            Concern written all over his face, Eugene spoke, “But where could he have gone? We passed his lab on the way here and there were guards everywhere, not to mention the gateway itself is almost complete. Surely, someone should have spotted him.”

 

            “We know! But that isn’t the worst part of it.” The king took a deep breath, before continuing. “The night he escaped, the two guards that were patrolling the dungeons were found dead; their throat cut.”

 

            Rapunzel gasped, “But Varian couldn’t have done that! He wouldn’t do that!”

 

            Nigel responded, “Your highness, we’ve known for a while that the boy was dangerous; just little over a month ago he tried to kill you and your mother. He would have succeeded too if there hadn’t been for unexpected factors.”

 

            Cassandra shifted uneasily. Nigel hadn’t mentioned it, but Varian had tried to kill her as well. What made it worse was that based on their previous encounters, everyone knew that the boy had developed a crush on her. Remembering the feeling of being crushed by his machine made her ribs ache.

 

            All of a sudden, Rapunzel felt light-headed and nauseous. She couldn’t believe he would kill. At Old Corona, he had been overcome with grief that he hadn’t been thinking straight. She believed that there had been hope for him, but if he killed two guards, maybe he had fully embraced his villainy.

 

            “Anything else?” Eugene asked. He saw the shock on his love’s face. She was reeling from the revelation. “Who were the guards and what has been done to find Varian?”

 

            The king answered, “The guards were William and Martin. They were among our newest recruits. As for the boy, as soon as we discovered his disappearance, we sent out platoons to look for him. They scoured the forest and Old Corona. We even went to the other villages, but there wasn’t a sign of him.”

 

            “What about the last ferry out of Corona?”

 

            “We thought of that, but none of the ships left the harbor.”

 

            Eugene was stumped. He couldn’t think of where the young boy would have escaped too. Corona wasn’t the most expansive of kingdoms, and there were enough guards to patrol the outer reaches of the kingdom.

 

            Eventually, Rapunzel spoke up. “Wow, this is a lot for me to process right now. I think—I think I need to lay down.” Her voice was barely audible. Holding her head, she turned away and went to her room. Cassandra and Eugene followed her, but once she reached her doors she gave them both a meaningful look. They understood. She needed time to herself.

 

            Inside her bedroom, Rapunzel collapsed on the bed. Pascal jumped off her shoulder and climbed onto the nightstand. He studied her sadly.

 

            “Don’t worry about me, Pascal. I just couldn’t stay in there any longer. I can’t bel—can’t believe that Varian would do such a thing!” She curled up in a ball and let her tears fall down her face. “Why? He was such a sweet boy! What did I do to him?” Sobbing, she pulled her journal out from her satchel and flipped through the pages. She turned to one of the earliest and stared at a painting of Varian. She had written and entire entry about the young alchemist and his fruitless attempt to gain a better understanding of her hair. He had been so quirky and cute. Sure, he had almost killed everyone with his invention, but his intentions had been in the right place. Eugene had told her that he had been trying to impress his father, Quirin. Cassandra had said something similar too, after the Science Expo fiasco. The four of them had been a powerful team; working together to prevent disaster. They had parted ways, their friendship strengthened by their dedication to solving the mystery of the rocks.

 

            _“You can count on me.”_

 

            Her stomach had stopped heaving and her sobs subsided. Rapunzel flipped to her least favorite page. The painting was gorgeous, definitely one of her best works; however, the blue and white depiction of the castle and city immersed in snow didn’t capture the intense fear that everyone had been going through.

 

            _“You promised!”_

 

            Varian’s haunted cry kept ringing in her head. She flipped the page again to one of the last entries. She’d painted herself staring off into the sunrise that was visible beyond the crumbled wall of Corona. The moment her father gave her permission to travel outside of kingdom. The day her life was to begin. Despite the victorious moment, she remembered the image that wasn’t on the pages.

 

            _“It’s not enough, until you endure the same amount of pain and agony I have!”_

 

            The moment she had defeated his machine, she had seen his anguish. His cry of hopelessness. In that instant, regardless of everything he had done, she felt his pain and sorrow. She saw him for what he was: a grief-stricken child. He’d rejected her efforts at reconciliation, but upon reflection, perhaps the cupcake wasn’t the best way to cheer him up.

 

_Sometimes, cheering up is the exact opposite of what is needed._

 

            Rapunzel looked at the curtains above. Her mind was rushing through everything that had happened with Varian.

 

_“The boy is dangerous!”_

 

_“I assure you, he will pay dearly!”_

 

_“You are the only one who can help!”_

 

           That was it! Her nausea forgotten, Rapunzel sat up and snapped her diary closed. Pascal, having dozed off, was startled awake as she leapt to her feet.

 

           “Pascal, I am the only one who can help! Everyone thinks Varian is a monster that has to be put down. But I won’t turn him away again! Not if I can help it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Batavia is the 1790s (general period) name for The Netherlands. They are famous for their tulips. So basically, Rapunzel and her friends travelled to The Netherlands and parts of Germany, assuming Corona is located in present-day Germany.


	3. A Proper Incentive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian learns that some people aren't afraid to take everything from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was particularly brutal for me to write. I had a plan, but it’s amazing how writing makes it all the more poignant.

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 3: A Proper Incentive

 

            The sound of clanging metal reverberated down the stone hallways of the Separatists of Saporia’s hidden stronghold. Many of the rebels had wrapped spare pieces of cloth around their ears in hopes of blocking out the deafening noise.

 

            Inside his new lab, Varian was pounding away at one of the bolts on his automaton. Alrick’s men had brought him a collection of metal that they had been able to find around the hideout and in the neighboring villages. Varian was hardly impressed; the metal wasn’t even enough to make one automaton, let alone the army of “metal men” that the Separatist leader expected.

 

            The day after Varian’s arrival, Alrick had visited him in his room. For an entire hour, he had expounded to him his plans of defeating Corona. Varian had noticed plenty of errors in his thinking. The largest being that Alrick hadn’t even considered the newest addition to the royal court: Princess Rapunzel.

 

            He had been tempted to tell Alrick that the princess was a serious threat to his organization, but he decided against it. He had already determined that Alrick was less trustworthy than Rapunzel. His plan to use her hair to free his father may have failed, but there was no denying after the events of the Battle of Old Corona, that she was essential to understanding the mystery of the black rocks. He just didn’t know how.

           

           Alrick had finished explaining his plans to him, when he said. “Well, young one, will you help me?”

           

          “You want my help to tear down, Corona?”

           

         “Of course! You have such a special gift! We need more people like you to help us bring justice to the king for all of his wrongs!”

           

         Varian had mused for moment. The thought of making King Frederic, Rapunzel, and all of Corona pay for betraying him was tantalizing, but what was going to happen to Rapunzel? He went deeper. What would happen to his father?

           

         The more he talked with Alrick, the more he noticed that the rumors that Alrick had heard about him and the Battle of Old Corona had been blown out of proportion. He had been lauded for creating an army of metal men and wild beasts. In truth, Varian had only reprogrammed automatons that he had discovered after finding the one underneath the vaults with Rapunzel. The “wild beasts” had been one wild beast and he had promised Rudiger that he wouldn’t do it again and unlike a certain princess, Varian took his promises seriously.

           

            Varian knew he was capable of replicating the automatons; after all he had reverse engineered them to make his own mechanical suit, which he had dubbed the “Vatomaton”. He had changed their programming cylinders so that they would defend his lab and fight the Coronans, but finding the resources to make that many machines was not looking bright.

 

            Varian put aside his hammer and looked over his shoulder to the little bundle on the floor.

 

            “Rudiger! I’m done! You can come out now!” He shouted.

 

            The raccoon peeked out of the blanket grumpily. Slowly, he untangled himself from the cloth and ran over to the table and sat on top of the hammer.

 

            Varian giggled, “Don’t worry, there isn’t much metal for me to work with anyway.” He lifted Rudiger up and placed him across his shoulders. “Besides, my arm is killing me! Let’s work on the other project.”

 

            Varian turned away from the makeshift automaton to go to a table in the corner of the room. He had requested that they bring him beakers, flasks, and everything necessary for developing his concoctions. He sighed as he looked at his meager supply of chemicals and plants. It wasn’t easy trying to tell people what plants and minerals he needed.

 

            For the past three weeks that Varian had been with the Separatists of Saporia, he not been permitted to leave. If he was to leave his room, he had to knock for someone to come and retrieve him. After leaving, he had two options: his lab or the mess hall. The mess hall was useless unless it was time to eat, but his lab was large and had a window that let some natural light enter. Unfortunately, the room was very tall and the window was near the top.

 

            Varian sat down at his stool and flipped through the notes and formulas he had written down. Stopping, he pulled out one that was covered in random scratches and scribbles.  

            “There you have it, Rudiger. Desperation! I’m a man of science, not a wizard. But what else can explain it?” Varian exhaled, perusing the parchment.

 

            _Flower + drill = broken rocks------failed_

            _Hair    + drill = broken rocks------failed_

_Using Princess’ hair on the amber weakened her_

_Princess controls rocks_

_Rocks make path_

_Rocks lead outside of Corona_

_What are the Rocks?_

_How are they connected to Princess? -----Magic?_

_Where are they leading?_

_What did Dad know about them?_

            The last question was torturous. He knew his father had some knowledge concerning the rocks, but now he might never know. Varian smashed the paper down. He tightly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn’t afford to let himself cry; not here.

 

            Rudiger gently stroked his face, looking at his master with sad, empathetic eyes.

 

            Varian coughed. “Rudiger, do you think Dad would be proud of me? I mean I’ve done everything I could think of to, short of magic, to break the amber. I’m even considering magical solutions! I’m doing everything I know!” His voice broke. “But I keep failing! Everything just keeps getting worse!”

 

            He couldn’t help it anymore. Tears began to pour down his face. Rudiger wiped the tears away and rubbed his paws together. Varian laid his head down in his arms; his shoulders shaking from his sobs.

 

            There was a jangling of keys and the door swung open. Startled, Varian jerked upright. His sudden movement caused the stool to go out from under him. He tumbled to the floor in a flurry of parchment and raccoon hair. Shaking his head, he looked up at who had entered his lab.

 

            It was Jerome. Alrick’s right-hand man was standing stoically at the door.

 

            “Dinner?” Varian asked.

 

            Jerome blinked in affirmation. Varian stood up and gave Rudiger a soft smile.

 

            “Don’t worry buddy, I’ll bring you back some scraps.”

 

            He hated leaving Rudiger behind; the raccoon was the only friend he had, but Alrick had refused to let him loose. Rudiger could only be with Varian in his room or his lab, but never outside those two places. Originally, he hadn’t been permitted in the lab, but Varian had argued that he needed the raccoon to keep him focused.

 

            With a firm hand on Varian’s shoulder, Jerome guided him down the candlelight hallways. During the three weeks that he had been there, Varian hadn’t heard Jerome say a single word that wasn’t a grunt. If it hadn’t been for the fact that he was second-in-command of the separatists, Varian would have thought he was mute. Soon the awkward silence gave way to the gradually increasing sound of human voices as they neared the mess hall.

 

            The mess hall wasn’t large. Four tables, each fitting around twenty-five people, took up the majority of the space, with one table at the head of all the others, laden with the meal of the day.  Based on conversations that Varian had with the separatists, there were three different hours for each meal, allowing for the hideout to be well-guarded at all times.

 

His first few days, Varian had been thirsty for information. Not wanting to appear suspicious or untrustworthy, he had presented himself as being awed by everything. The rebels had easily bought his façade.

 

            “Wow! This place is massive! How many people does this room hold?” He’d said with wide eyes as he sat down next to a group of men. He’d chosen them specifically because they appeared to be the most talkative.

 

            “Hey guys, look at this squirt!” One of the men hooted.

 

            The others had laughed. Varian decided to join them.

 

            “Hahaha! I’m Varian! Who are all of you?”

 

            The man that had made joke, turned to look closer at him. “Varian, huh? What are you, like six years old?” His companion hollered.

 

            For a moment, Varian had thought that sitting with them had been a mistake. He really wasn’t in the mood for being mocked. But then the men sobered up.

 

            “I’m Fonzo and these are my friends, Otto, Garon, and Roch.” He gestured towards his partners. “Honestly, what is a young boy like you doing here?”

 

            Varian was surprised to learn that Alrick’s plan hadn’t been made public knowledge. He decided to put secretive on the growing list of reasons not to trust the man.

 

            “I’m guessing that you don’t like Corona, right? Well, neither do I!”

 

            Otto spoke up, “Yeah, we all hate Corona. My father was one of the provincial guards. He was around when the king’s wife fell ill during her pregnancy. My father was furious that he sent the royal guards to find the magical flower, only to use it all on his wife.”

 

            “Why?” Varian asked.

 

            “When I was a little boy, my mother fell ill while pregnant. She could have used that flower, but instead she was left to waste away and the child too!” Otto hissed.

 

            Fonzo patted his friend on the back. “Don’t worry, bud. We’ll make good ole Fred pay!”

 

            Varian sighed sympathetically, “I know what you mean. The royal family thinks only of themselves and their problems. But I have to ask. Corona has a bunch of guards. How do you intend to defeat them? There only seem to be a hundred men in here?”

 

            Roch snorted, “A hundred! This is only one lunch shift! There are two others. You don’t expect us to eat all at once do you? They have guard duty or fight practice. Some are off tilling the farmlands. Mouths to feed, you know.”

 

            “Yeah, not to mention the top tier members of our group.”

 

            “Top tier?” These men kept providing him with valuable information.

 

            Fonzo grimaced, “Yeah kid. Everyone you see here are “low class members”. We joined the Separatists of Saporia recently. The top-level members are actual descendants of the original members.”

 

After their initial conversation, Varian found it beneficial to sit next to them whenever he could. If Jerome wasn’t around, he would ask them more detailed questions about their daily routines, the leadership, and while they were smart enough not to tell him where their hideout was located, he was able to glean enough information to surmise a general description of the land outside.

 

            Unfortunately, today Jerome seemed intent on staying next to him. Varian walked over to the line and collected his bowl. Next to a basket of rolls there was a simmering pot of stew. It had quite a pleasant aroma, one of beef, potatoes, and fried onion: Gaisburger Marsch.

 

            Varian took a roll and his bowl of stew and looked for Fonzo and his friends; they weren’t anywhere to be found. Not in the mood for befriending others, he found a solitary spot at the end of the table furthest from the entrance. Jerome stood behind him.

 

            He ate in silence. The beef broth tasted as good as it smelled. Varian had half a mind to congratulate the cook, but the moment he slurped up the last of the broth. Jerome had whisked his bowl away.

 

            “Why are we in such a hurry?” Varian asked before realizing the man he was talking to was unlikely to provide an answer.

 

            True to form, Jerome said nothing and simply led Varian out of the mess hall and back to his lab. Varian began to feel apprehensive. During his time with the Separatists, he had never felt like he was one of them, but with how Jerome was rushing him about, he was beginning to feel less welcome.

 

            Jerome opened the lab door and motioned for Varian to enter. Once inside, the door was shut and locked behind him. Varian looked around at his materials and tools. The lab appeared colder than he had left it.

 

            Rudiger was curled up on his blanket, awaiting his master’s return. Varian pulled out of the roll from his apron. Chittering hungrily, the raccoon scrambled over and took the bread from his hands. The alchemist watched as his little friend ran over to the water bowl on the floor and submerged the roll in it. Rubbing his paws together in the water, Rudiger tore at the soggy bread. It was soon gone. The raccoon sped back over to Varian and proceeded to pat him down, looking for something else to eat.

 

            “Hey, you greedy little thief! That’s all I have!” Varian laughed at Rudiger’s antics.

 

            The raccoon looked at him with such disappointment that Varian couldn’t help but burst out in another fit of giggling.

 

            “They only let me take one roll. If I could, I’d bring you the whole basket! And no, there weren’t any apples either!” Varian picked up his dissatisfied companion and allowed him to climb to his usual spot across his shoulders. Turning to face the incomplete automaton, Varian set to work looking at all the pieces he was missing.

 

            “Rudiger, all I need is enough metal to finish the head piece and then I have to work on the cylinder.” Varian sighed deeply and stroked his raccoon’s head. “You know when we get out of this, I’m going to start charging people for my inventions. This is so much work.”

 

            To his surprise, he heard the door unlock and looked to see who had come to visit him. Alrick entered, accompanied by Jerome, who was carrying a wooden box.

 

            “Hello, my young friend. How goes it with the machine?”

 

            Varian picked up a paper with the automaton’s blueprints. “Well, with the exception of the head and the control cylinder, the automaton is nearly complete.”

 

            The separatist leader had a large frown on his face. “How long have you been here, boy?”

 

            “About three weeks.”

 

            “About three weeks, _sir_.”

 

            “Sir.”

 

Something was very wrong. Alrick had put a hand to his head, massaging his temple. After a brief moment, he took a deep breath and whispered. “I recall telling you that I had big plans for destroying Corona.”

 

            “Yes, and when I fini—”

 

            “Quiet!”

 

            Varian shut up and stared at Alrick in fear. He had known that Alrick’s kindness had been a charade, but he had hoped to escape his wrath.

 

            “Three weeks and all you have to show is an incomplete contraption! Boy, I brought you here to make me an army! I need at least ten times that many if I am to even think about approaching Corona!” Alrick’s voice was gradually rising in volume. “You promised me an army and, where is it?”

 

            Varian hesitated to speak, but once it became apparent that the question wasn’t rhetorical, he tentatively responded. “I’m doing the best I can, but I need more metal.”

 

            “Aren’t you a wizard? Can’t you conjure up what you need? Where did you get the materials for your previous machines? I’m beginning to think you simply don’t care about our goals here, boy.”

 

            “Well, I found those automato—” Varian shrunk back against his tool table as Alrick rushed towards him and grabbed him by the collar.

 

            “FOUND! YOU FOUND THEM! THEN PRAY TELL, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MAKE ME AN ARMY? I BROUGHT YOU HERE IN GOOD FAITH AND HERE I FIND THAT YOU’VE LIED TO ME!”

 

            Varian voice came out as a terrified whimper, “No, no I—I’ve learned how to—to make them! I’m almost don—done with this one!”

 

            Alrick let go of his shirt. He brushed at the wrinkles on Varian’s tunic. “Well, that’s a relief. I was afraid I was going to have to resort to drastic measures.” He put his hand on Varian’s shoulder, dangerously close to his neck. “But, like I said, my boy, I need an army as soon as possible.” He lifted his other hand a brushed back Varian’s hair. “If I get you the metal, will you build your machines?”

 

            “Y—ye—yes.” Varian quivered.

 

            “Excellent!” He gave Varian a harsh slap on the back. Rudiger hissed at him. “My friend, do you know what my father used to tell me?”

 

            “No.”

 

            Alrick strolled away from Varian towards the door. “He told me the best way to get results is by giving incentives.” He gave a sinister smile. “What incentive can I give you?” He put his hand on his chin in mock thought. “I know!” He said, snapping his fingers together. “Jerome!”

 

            Varian blanched as the stout man strode towards him. Wincing at his outstretched hands, he waited for the first blow, but it didn’t come. Instead, Jerome seized the unsuspecting raccoon from off Varian’s shoulders. Rudiger growled and squirmed in his arms, but he was roughly shoved into the crate; his terrified screeches dampened by the closing of the lid.

 

            Eyes wild with fear, Varian cried out and lunged at the box. “No, please no! I need him! He’s all I have! Please!”

 

            Alrick stared at him with a cold, uncaring gaze and he issued words of false comfort. “Oh, don’t worry, my friend. As long as you finish your machines, you’ll see him again.” He opened the door. “Think of it as an incentive.” With a wink, he disappeared.

 

            The snarling crate firmly under his muscular arms, Jerome followed Alrick out the door right as Varian dived at him. The boy smashed into the closing wooden frame.

 

            Ignoring the pain and splinters sticking out of his face, Varian pounded at the door and cried out, “RUDIGER! RUDIGER!” Tears streaked down his cheeks as he kept beating the doorway, hoping it would give way. It didn’t budge.

 

            Slowly, the pummeling stopped and Varian exhausted arms slid down to the floor. He curled up in a trembling ball and wept, having truly lost it all.           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaisburger Marsch is a traditional German dish. I haven’t tried it.
> 
> Also, I know I’m being pretty brutal to Varian right now. I love him and so I have big plans for him. But after, what he did, this boy needs a serving of humble pie. That being said, I feel horrible about the ending, but it’s necessary. In the words of Lord Farquaad, “That is a sacrifice, I am willing to make.” (Shrek)
> 
> The “vatomaton” was not coined by me, but is a reference to kritterart’s drawing of Varian’s mecha suit. I thought it appropriate.


	4. Of Grief and Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel investigates Varian's case and has a heart to heart with her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my last chapters have been pretty bleak, but I did an attempt at some comedy for this chapter. I consider myself to be a pretty funny person, but written humor is a lot more difficult since you don’t have vocal inflections. Maybe that’s why J.K. Rowling is such a phenomenal writer!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! For some reason, they keep getting longer!

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 4: Of Grief and Sorrow

 

            The gentle morning breeze blew into kingdom of Corona, carrying the melodious tunes of the songbirds. Nothing could disturb the pleasantness of the breaking dawn, except—

 

            “RIDER!”

 

            Eugene sprang upright. The door was violently shaking under the Captain’s fearsome hand. Struggling to get out of bed, Eugene collapsed on the floor in a tangle of twisted sheets. With great effort, he unraveled himself from the cloth and staggered groggily towards the trembling door.

           

“Hello, Cap! I didn’t realize that I asked for an alarm! How sweet of you!”

           

            The Captain of the Guard glared at him. “Rider! Do you know what time it is?”

           

“Is it time to shave your mustache! Cap, I know I’ve been telling you the mustache is the past and the goatee is the future, but you didn’t have to wake me up!” Eugene yawned.

           

“Don’t get lippy with me, Rider! It’s time for you to teach the guards!”

 

            “Hang on one sec.” Eugene shoved his little finger into his ear and twisted it around before pulling it out. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you muy bien. I thought you said I had to teach the guards! Such a silly thing to say, especially when I’m on vacation!” He gave a cheeky grin to the Captain.

 

            The Captain raised his eyes and gave a silent prayer for patience. “Very funny! Unfortunately for you, vacation ended when you came back to Corona. Here, we don’t get breaks!”

 

            Sighing, Eugene looked back at his mess of a room. “Okay, Cap. I’ll be out there in a moment.” He closed the door and yawned again. He trudged towards his bed, picking up the wad of sheets on the floor. “Honestly, it’s been two weeks since we’ve gotten back and now he wants me to return to work!” He kept grumbling as he cleaned up his room and got ready for the day.

 

            When he finally made it to the training grounds, he was surprised at how many guards there were. Usually there was only a handful of men during the early morning session, but today the numbers were doubled. They were lined up perfectly, awaiting their instructor.

 

            “Well look who finally decided to show up!” The Captain growled. “I was beginning to think I would have to cancel class, since the professor ended up in the stocks!”

 

            Eugene winked, “I know it’s been awhile since you’ve taken off your helmet, Cap, but some of us have to brush our gorgeous locks in the morning!” Then in a whisper that only the Captain could hear, “Why the sudden influx of guards? I know my classes are interesting, but shouldn’t some of them be at their posts?”

 

            The Captain sighed, “Ever since what happened at Old Corona, we’ve been heavily recruiting. We need more men to defend the kingdom. Don’t worry about the posts, Rider. We have them covered.”

 

            “Well at least I know you’re doing your job! Don’t worry about this? The Honorable Professor Fitzherbert Esquire is in the house!” Eugene struck a heroic pose, his hands on his hips and his head tilted upwards.

 

            “Enough with the titles! Just teach them what you’ve been teaching the rest. Pete and Stan are here to help. I’d stay, but I have more patrols to check on.” He marched away, leaving the former thief to begin his instruction.

 

            Meanwhile, Cassandra was struggling with the batch of new recruits.

 

            “No! Why would you actually try to cut off his leg! He’s your sparring partner, not your enemy! Now go through the exercise, _slowly_! And try not to kill each other!”

 

            Massaging her temples, the newest officer in the Royal Guard, made her way through the groups of sword-wielding soldiers. She nearly tripped as a guard fell over.

 

            “Stuart! Stay on your feet! In a real fight, the moment you fall over is the moment you say your prayers, especially with the skill you’ve been showing me this past week!”

 

            Struggling to stand up, Stuart apologized, “Sorry sir, I mean ma’am, or—what am I supposed to call you?

 

            “I don’t know, solider! Do I look like a man?”

 

            “No.”

 

            “Then figure it out!”

 

            With a loud gulp, the solider shouted, “Yes, Ma’am!” His eyes grew wide. “Sir!”

 

             Cassandra growled, stopping only when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw her father, the Captain of the Guard, smiling at her.

 

            “Dad! I mean—I mean, Captain! How can I help you?”

 

            Silently, he beckoned for her to follow him. They walked to the edge of the training grounds, watching from a distance the chaos that was unfolding.

 

           “How are the recruits coming?”

 

           Cassandra groaned. “Horrible! I’ve taught them the basics and while they know the rules and protocol, I’ve never met a more inept group of individuals!”

 

           Just then, Shorty ran across the field, chased by his sparring partner. In awestruck silence, they watched as he bobbed and weaved between the practicing soldiers, the goat, Milton, relentless in his pursuit. Finally, Shorty broke free from the mass of people and headed straight for Cassandra and the Captain. Milton caught up to him and with his horns, flung the short man into the air. Shorty’s flight ended abruptly when he luckily landed in a cart full of hay. Cassandra and her father rushed towards the wagon to check on him.

 

          Shorty popped out of the hay and mumbled, “And that is how you fly!” He stood up and took one step, only to collapse and start snoring.

 

         Cassandra turned to look at the goat. Having “won” the fight, Milton had taken to chasing the rest of the recruits. She took a deep breath and exhaled, watching the twenty men she was supposed to be training to become highly efficient and skilled fighters, scream as they ran across the field to escape the mad goat.

 

         Seeing her disappointment, the Captain put a reassuring hand around her shoulders and gave her a tight squeeze. “At least they’ll be in good shape!”

 

        “Dad! I’ve been training them ever since I got back and the only one that poses a genuine threat, is the goat, and even he is too unpredictable to train!”

 

        The Captain chuckled. “It is true that I’ve always thought that Corona’s mammal population seems to be far more effective than everyone else.” Then sobering up he said, “Cassandra, what you’re doing is incredibly difficult. I know you want to show me that you are a capable leader, but I already know that! When I was hurt during the attack on the castle, you stepped up and showed me the leader that you already are! I know the recruits are hard to train, but that is why I gave you this responsibility. It’ll challenge you, but I knew I could trust that you would give everything to getting them where they need to be.”

 

        Cassandra gave her father a thankful smile and hugged him. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll get them in tip-top shape! You won’t find better defenders of Corona after I’m done with them!”

 

       She saluted her father and ran over to her students. They had barricaded themselves in the stables, cowering as the goat charged the doors.

 

            From her bedroom window, Rapunzel could make out her friends training the Royal Guards. Cassandra had successfully turned the chaotic morning into a more hopeful one. Having chased the goat out of the grounds, she had gotten the recruits to return to the field and replace their swords with a safer alternative: staves.

 

            _Way to go, Cass! Smart choice. Better start small._

            On the other side of the fields, Eugene was teaching a lesson that appeared to be, how to sneak up on a thief. At least that is what it looked like. The guards were attempting to quietly approach their partners and tie a rope around their feet without being caught. Rapunzel thought it looked more like Eugene was teaching the guards how to be accomplished thieves, but she wasn’t the expert.

 

            _Maybe there is something to learn._

            She turned away from the window and went back to her bed, where a large collection of papers was strewn about: case notes on Varian’s trial, prison behavior, and escape. It wasn’t a pleasant read.

 

 

_ Accused_

_Varian, son of Quirin_

_Male_

_Fourteen years of age_

_From Old Corona village, Corona_

_ Charges_

_Four accounts of high treason_

_Stealing the Sundrop flower from the Royal Vaults_

_Attacking the castle_

_Kidnapping Queen Arianna_

_Attempting to murder Queen Arianna and Princess Rapunzel_

_Unlawful experimentation upon a living being_

 

_Three accounts of attempted murder_

_Queen Arianna, with alchemical solution and by crushing_

_Princess Rapunzel, by experimentation and by crushing_

_Lady Cassandra, by crushing_

_ Behavior in Court_

_Defendant was caustic and unrepentant._

_Accused King Frederic of betraying his people, for withholding information regarding the rocks._

_Accused Princess Rapunzel for having thrown him out into the storm, after denying him help._

_ Sentence_

_Solitary Confinement for an indefinite length of time_

_ Additional detail_

_Pet raccoon permitted to stay with the accused_

_Visitation permitted only by those authorized by the King_

            Rapunzel didn’t know why she had read the court proceedings; she had been there. Hearing Varian’s angry accusations of betrayal had almost been too much for her. The pure hatred radiating from the small boy was both terrifying and tragic. It was with a heavy heart that her father past his sentence, with a promise to try and help the boy come back to his senses. That night, Rapunzel had cried her heart out.

 

            The details concerning his behavior in prison were less complete. She remembered signing her name to record when she had visited and the general nature of the visit, but there wasn’t a complete description of what was said.

 

            Rapunzel picked up the paper where the visits were recorded. During the month that Varian had been there, he had only had three visitors: Rapunzel, Queen Arianna, and Xavier.

 

            Turning to Pascal, she said, “Well, Xavier’s still in Old Corona, but I guess I should go talk to Mom about this.” She motioned towards the chart in her hand.

 

            Pascal nodded in agreement. He crawled up Rapunzel’s outstretched hand and settled down on her shoulder. With a sigh, she rolled the paper into a scroll and left her room to go find her mother.

 

            Since her return to Corona, Rapunzel had felt that she had been all over the place. The first few days had been difficult for her. Her parents had been eager to learn about what she had done, once she left Corona. She couldn’t blame them; she was their only child. Between juggling diplomatic events and spending time with family and friend, Rapunzel felt like her role as a princess and daughter were overshadowing her responsibilities as a friend.

 

            She had made a promise to do what she could for Varian, but no one, except Pascal, had seemed particularly interested in helping her. She was forced to find all the reports concerning Varian on her own. She thought it would have been a quick undertaking, but since she was constantly being pulled in every direction, what was originally a simple and easy task, became an incredibly difficult one.

 

           The day after her return, her parents had sat her down and asked her to tell them about everything she did. She was happy to do so and made sure to keep the tale as simple and safe as possible. She told them all about Batavia and how beautiful it was. The food was divine, the people pleasant, and the landscape breathtaking.

 

          “Once we reached the English Channel, I wanted to swim across it!”

 

          “Swim?” Her father asked with a troubled look on his face.

 

          “Don’t worry, Dad! Eugene told me it wasn’t a good idea. Besides, I don’t think I could have made it far with my hair. Thankfully, it’s not too heavy on my head, but I think it would have weighed me down.”

 

           King Frederic whispered in his wife’s ear, “Glad he went with her.”

 

           “Oh! But on the way back from the ocean, we ran into some bandits that were robbing a caravan of performers! We made quick work of them and helped the travelers. They were so thankful that they performed for us that night!” Rapunzel jumped up in excitement. “They breathed fire, danced, and performed all sorts of acrobatic moves! They even taught me how to walk on a tightrope!”

 

           Queen Arianna smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. “That’s wonderful dear! Did you write it all in your journal?”

 

           Rapunzel smiled, “Of course I did! I tried to capture how amazing everything was!”

 

           King Frederic shifted uncomfortably, “I’m glad your travels were a positive experience, Rapunzel, but did you find out where the rocks led?”

 

           Rapunzel sat down in between her parents. “No. We started following them eastward, but we soon realized that they would be leading us far away. I knew you both would want to see me by the end of the month and so Eugene suggested that we travel to one of his favorite places. That’s why we turned around and headed to Batavia.”

 

          “So, what of the rocks?”

 

         “That’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Once this whole fiasco with the prison escape dies down. Eugene, Cassandra, and I plan to follow the rocks. I don’t know where they will lead us or how long we will be gone, but I wanted you to know. I don’t want you to worry about me.”

 

         Queen Arianna put a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, we’ll always be worried about you! That’s part of being a parent, but,” she looked at her husband, “we trust that you’ll take care of yourself.”

 

         Rapunzel glanced up at her father. “My dear, I trust you. This is something you’ll have to do and I’m thankful that you returned to tell us.”

 

         They hugged each other and she left her parents feeling relieved to know that she had their blessing to continue on with the mystery of her connection to the rocks.

 

         Right now, Rapunzel was approaching her parents’ room again. She knocked on the door. She faintly heard her mother tell her to enter. Opening the door, Rapunzel saw Frieborg brushing her mother’s long brown tresses. Through the mirror, Arianna saw her daughter.

 

        “Rapunzel! I’m surprised to see you so early!” Queen Arianna touched Frieborg’s hand and smiled at her. “Thank you, Frieborg. As always, my hair looks lovely. Now would you excuse my daughter and I?”

 

        Frieborg gave a small curtesy and left the room, shooting her typical off-kilter grin at Rapunzel.

 

        Arianna turned to face her daughter. “Did you sleep well?”

 

        Rapunzel collapsed on the bed. “To be honest, I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

 

        The queen laid down next to Rapunzel. She softly brushed the wisps of hair out of Rapunzel’s face, a look of concern in her eyes. “What’s the matter, darling?”

 

        Sitting up, Rapunzel held up the visitation records. “I can’t get Varian out of my head, Mom. I’ve been pooling together every bit of information that there is on him and trying to figure out what happened. I found this record and it says that you spoke with him. What did you talk about?”

 

        After a moments hesitation, Arianna took the paper from Rapunzel. She briefly skimmed the notes and looked back up at her daughter.

 

       “Rapunzel, I talked about a lot of things. I talked about the weather. I talked about the struggles of having a kingdom. I talked about the grief I felt when I lost you.” Arianna hung her head. “But he barely spoke. I learned quickly that I wasn’t to talk about you and I wasn’t to talk about him or his father. He snapped at me for that.”

 

         “What did he say?”

 

         “He kept telling me that Corona had let him down. I tried to reason with him, but that’s when he would shut me out. I thought I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him, but then about a week before he escaped, he asked me something, that caught my attention.”

 

          Rapunzel leaned in closer. “Yes!”

 

          “Usually whenever he spoke, his voice was cold and sarcastic, but this time he sounded so timid and hurt. He wanted to know how I had handled the grief I felt when you were taken from us.”

 

         “What did you tell him?”

 

         “I told him that when we lost you, my grief was so intense that I fell ill again. The thought that something horrible could be happening to my precious little girl sickened me. I kept blaming myself for letting that woman take you. If only I had woken up sooner or kept you closer. I thought it was my fault and I was driving myself mad from with “what ifs”. The only reason that I didn’t was because I had my husband. We comforted each other. We grieved with one another. We hoped together. But, as patrol after patrol returned empty handed, I knew that I had to confront my pain. I had to tell myself over and over again, that there was nothing I could have possibly known that would have prevented it. In the end, I had to accept that it wasn’t my fault. It was a harrowing experience, but I came to terms with what happened and prayed that wherever you were, that you would be happy. That helped me find peace.”

 

          Rapunzel wiped away a tear. “That must have been so difficult for you.” She smoothed out her dress. “Do you believe what they say about him? Do you believe he killed the guards?”

 

          Arianna looked out the window. “The mother in me says no. He is just a young boy that is in need of love and help. But, I can’t deny that things don’t look good for him, dear. He did things that no one would have imagined. He was willing to kill and so, while I want to believe that he wouldn’t have killed the guards, he already tried to kill me. To answer your question, I believe him to be quite capable of such an act, but as to whether he would have done it, I’m inclined to say no, he wouldn’t have.”

 

          “Thanks, Mom. I’m going to keep looking over all this to see if there is something I missed, but everything you’ve told me has been so helpful.”

 

           “Let me know if you find anything out, okay.”

 

           “I will.” Rapunzel stood to leave, but her mother caught her arm.

 

           “Rapunzel, I just want you to know, that even though I was denied the chance to raise you, I am so grateful that you’ve become such a kind and mature young woman.”

 

           Rapunzel gave her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As she walked out the door, she looked back and said, “And I’m grateful that you’re my mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Editing works! I wrote this chapter and was dissatisfied with the ending (Rapunzel and Arianna’s discussion of Varian), but when I reviewed over it, I spotted the errors and was able to come up with a far more poignant reason, for Varian to reach out to Arianna.
> 
> While I was thinking of where I want my story to go, I came up with some crazy ideas. I can’t share them with you yet, because they are pretty spoilery, but they made me excited for where the story will end up. I hope you find them just as cool as I do!


	5. Alchemical Intrigue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian has something up his sleeve, but he isn't the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any ideas that you’d like to suggest, please do! Any personal analysis that you would be interested in seeing, I will look over and see if it would work.
> 
> The story is really starting the move and I can’t wait for you all to see what I have in store!

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 5: Alchemical Intrigue

 

          The Sun had yet to burst through the small window, when Varian was roughly shaken awake.

 

          “C’mon boy! Time to get to work!”

 

          Varian opened his eyes to look at who had woken him. It was another unfamiliar face, just like the last one. Yawning, he pushed himself out of his bed and tottered over to his work table. Being too early to work on the automatons, he was to focus on his chemical concoctions.

 

          After Alrick’s “incentive” to make Varian more productive, they had moved his quarters to his lab. The room was never small to begin with, having to serve as a makeshift smithy and chemical lab, but now Varian’s world had shrunk yet again. There was no moving between rooms. There was no chatting with the soldiers. There was no having meals in the mess hall. Everything was in the lab.

 

          Clipping a leaf off a branch, Varian ground the plant into a fine powder and poured it into a beaker full of water. He picked up a tuft of dry grass and held them over the candle flame. Once they caught fire, he placed them in his small burner; a steady flame erupted from the top. With another yawn, Varian suspended the beaker over the flame to let its contents come to a rolling boil. It was a harmless procedure; one that outwardly resembled a more devastating mixture.

 

          Alrick had asked that Varian prepare the formula that would give him access to a horde of wild beasts. Not wanting it to side track him from his primary purpose of creating the automatons, he had suggested that Varian work on the project early in the morning and late at night. Unfortunately, this meant that Varian was functioning on little sleep.

 

           It didn’t take long for the water to boil. The leaf powder had left the water with a slightly greenish-yellow hue. Using his thumb and index finger, he pinched up a small amount of pink salt and dropped it into the liquid. The yellow solution brightened and turned a brilliant shade of orange. Varian gingerly lifted the beaker off its stand and slowly poured its contents into several small glass spheres, careful not to splash the hot liquid on his arms. Once completed, he placed the orange beads into a basket where they were surrounded by dozens of identical spheres.

 

          Varian looked up at the guard. He had returned to his seat at the door, head reclined in sleep, apparently too tired to look after his charge. The young alchemist smirked.

 

_You’ll regret that!_

          Secretly, Varian knelt next to a box on the far side of the table. He gently lifted the notes that were stacked on top and pulled up the lid. Inside, was a small burlap sack encompassed by various plants and minerals. Varian undid the rope around the bag and looked at the contents within. Several small glass marbles, all possessing the same orange color as the other spheres, were glowing in the dim light. He quickly counted them.

 

_Fifty!  I need to make more!_

          At the door, the guard jerked, forcing Varian to scramble to tie the bag up and cover the box. Eyeing him nervously, Varian stood back up and gathered the necessary materials. He needed about twenty more of the small pellets to enact his plan and he was running short on time.

 

_I better get them done before breakfast comes!_

          With his keeper still asleep, Varian snapped his goggles into place over his eyes and set to work; his exhaustion replaced with newfound enthusiasm.

 

 

          When the knock on the door came, Varian was nearing completion. So focused was he, that he didn’t hear the sound, until the guard yelled at him.

 

          “Boy! It’s your food!”

 

          Startled, Varian almost dropped one of the precious orbs on the stone; he managed to catch it right before it hit the ground. Straightening himself, he gave the man an icy glare.

 

          “You don’t need to shout. Do you know how devastating it would be if I were to drop one of these little spheres! I don’t think your boss would be too happy about it.”

 

          The man shrugged indifferently, “What do I care? If something horrible were to happen, the fault would land on you. Now eat up! We don’t want you losing your strength now, do we.” He dropped the plate on the table, dangerously close to Varian’s chemicals.

 

            The food didn’t look appetizing. Varian gave it a dubious sniff and backed away in revulsion. The man smiled maliciously at him. “You must be mistaken. This looks like food for you! See, it even resembles you!” Varian snarked.

 

            “Oh no! My shift ends in a half hour, after which I’ll head down to the mess and have my breakfast.” He leaned in and whispered, “I heard they’re having sausage today!”

 

            At that moment, Varian’s stomach decided to rumble in hunger. The man burst out in horrible laughter and winked at Varian. Furious as well as embarrassed, Varian picked up one of his pellets and threatened to throw it at the man.

 

            To his satisfaction, the man’s grin disappeared. “Oh no you wouldn’t!”

 

            “Keep mocking me and you’ll see what I would and wouldn’t do!” Varian uttered softly, his voice laced with danger.

 

            For a moment they were at a stalemate, until an idea popped into the guard’s mind.

 

            “You wouldn’t, because if you did, you wouldm’t see you little vermin friend again!”

 

            Knowing the battle was lost, Varian’s arm dropped to his side and he place the sphere back with the others. He could never win anything here. The longer he stayed with the Separatists, the more he was treated as a prisoner. Any lack of cooperation would be swiftly dealt with, and to Varian’s torment, he wasn’t the one that would bear the brunt of the punishment.

 

           Victorious, the man roughly grabbed Varian by the collar and dragged him towards the plate of foul food. “Now what do you say to your delicious slop?”

 

           The food, if it could be called food, was a grey mess of something. Staring closely, Varian could tell that there were bits of carrots and potatoes, but as for what made the consistency of the dish and the stench, he was in the dark. With a downtrodden sigh, he picked up the wooden spoon and scooped up some of the mess. He could feel the guard’s eyes on him as he lifted the spoon to his face. Taking a deep breath, Varian used his other hand to plug his nose and shoved the food into his mouth. It was worse than he had imagined. Bypassing the chance to chew, Varian attempted to swallow only to start gagging. He put his hands down on the table, bracing himself as he violently coughed and spluttered.

 

           The guard cackled and wiped away a fake tear. “Thanks for that, boy! It really made my day! Now finish up, so I can take your plate back to the kitchens when my shifts over!”

 

           Repulsed, Varian glanced back at the plate. Thankfully, there wasn’t too much left, but just enough that he knew he would have to battle hard to keep himself from hurling. He knew Alrick wasn’t attempting to poison him, but part of him thought that he might as well, considering the food he was receiving. He closed his eyes and spooned up another unsavory bite.

 

 

           An hour later, the guard had traded positions with another foreign face. Varian had hidden his chemical formula away and had begun working on the automatons. Alrick was true to his word. Somehow, he had motivated his men to find enough metal to build the necessary parts. It wouldn’t have surprised Varian if there were several nearby villages that were missing valuable equipment, but he couldn’t be for certain. Once, Alrick had learned that Varian wasn’t actually a wizard, he had made the logical conclusion that the boy simply could not produce the army of automatons that he wanted in the timeframe given. Using the first machine as an example he had gotten a group of his men that were skilled with metal and had them turn the scrap iron into the necessary pieces.

 

           Despite having less to worry about with the project, Varian was busy with assembling the automatons and creating their timing cylinders. The meager food supply and long work hours were running the boy ragged. The cylinders were particularly difficult and time consuming. Making sure that the comb’s teeth were the right length and that the cylindrical drum’s pins were correctly spaced was tedious work.

 

           Varian held one the cylinders and with a steady hand, drilled small holes into the metal. Afterwards, he cut small pieces of wire and stuck them into the holes. The pins in place, Varian filled the drum with melted resin, securing the pins from the inside. He leaned back to admire his handiwork as it cooled.

 

           Varian would be lying if he said that building the automatons had been the most difficult task he had undertaken; that honor would have to go to the timing cylinders. The complexity of the devices was certainly something he took great pride in, especially since he had discovered the adjustments necessary to alter the programming of Herz der Sonne’s machines.

 

           Once the resin had hardened, Varian began to secure it to the axel so that when cranked, it would pluck the proper teeth on the comb. He was determined to finish; Alrick had promised to return Rudiger to him the moment he completed the timing mechanisms. Having anchored the cylinder in place, Varian cranked the handle. A sinister melody rang through the room.

 

           Satisfied, he turned to the new guard, who was playing with the buttons to his shirt.

 

           “Done! You can send for Alrick.”

 

           The man looked up at him skeptically. “You’re sure? I’d hate to have him come and you not be completely finished.”

 

           “All that’s left is installation and his men know how to do that.”

 

           “What about the other thing?” The man gestured towards Varian’s alchemy table.

 

           “Also done.” Varian was impatient. It had been two weeks since he had seen his raccoon. He’d waited, cooperated, and pushed himself hard to complete the job, but now he wanted his friend back. Only with Rudiger would Varian be able to put his plan into action.

 

           The guard nodded with a sigh. “Well, if you’re sure.” He stood up and knocked on the door. A muffled voice responded.

 

           “What?”

 

           “Tell the boss, the kid finished.”

 

           There was a shuffling of feet as the other guard left his post to go find Alrick. The man pulled out a chunk of bread and sat down. Varian shifted on his stool; he had yet to be fed and breakfast had been hardly satisfying.

 

           “Hungry?”

 

            Varian glanced up in surprise. The guard was holding the bread out to him.

 

            “C’mon kid, I can tell you’re starving.” He stood up and awkwardly sidled over to Varian, his hand still outstretched.

 

            _Why is he offering me bread? Is it poisoned?_

            Despite all of Varian’s distrust, his stomach begged him to take the food.    Tentatively, he took the bread from the man and sniffed it; it smelt so good. Varian could feel saliva start pooling in his mouth.

 

            “They don’t feed you near enough.” The guard had returned to his post and was looking at Varian with newfound interest. “You’re skin and bones.”

 

            “Who are you?”

 

            “The name’s Norman. What’s yours?”

 

            Varian debated answering the question. On one hand, the man was a member of an organization that he had come to loathe, but on the other, he had been the first person to genuinely seem concerned for him. It probably didn’t matter. Once Alrick arrived, his name would be out.

 

            _Might as well be courteous._

            “Varian.”

 

            “Nice to meet you, Varian.” Norman gestured to the bread. “You might want to eat that before they get here. Technically, I’m not supposed to feed you.”

 

            Varian looked down at the bread in his hand and tore off a large chuck, shoving it into his watery mouth. He quickly chewed and swallowed the delicious morsel and tore off another piece. Norman smiled at him.

 

            Right when Varian swallowed the last of the bread, there was a tap on the door. Norman shot upright and grabbed the boy’s arm, holding him in place. A precaution, in case Varian tried to make a run for it.

 

            “Clear!” Norman shouted.

 

            After a jangling of keys, the door swung open to let Alrick enter. The leader of the Separatists of Saporia strutted into the lab accompanied by his second-in-command, Jerome. Varian stared at the box under the burly man’s arm; he could faintly hear the chittering of the raccoon inside.

 

            Without speaking to Varian, Alrick strode over to the cylinders and gave them an experimental crank. Again, the spooky tune rang out.

 

            “You’re sure that this will control the metal men? It seems awfully harmless.”

 

            “Yes, sir. The pins pluck the teeth which controls the automaton’s movements. All that’s left is installing them.”

 

            Alrick shifted his attention towards the alchemy table. He picked up one of the orange spheres from the basket and closely inspected it. “And this will transform any animal into a wild ferocious beast?”

 

            “Yes, sir.”

 

            “Shall we try it out?”

 

            Varian’s throat went dry. “I—I wouldn’t, sir.”

 

            Alrick glowered at him. “Don’t trust your own concoction?”

 

            “No-no, sir. It’s just that you can’t control the beast. They grow very large and attack everything in sight, even if it’s their beloved master. They can’t tell the difference.”

 

            “Then you’re lucky.” The man gently placed the orb back into the basket. Finally, he faced the alchemist and broke into a huge grin. “Look at what you did! See, I knew you only needed a little more motivation to get you going.”

 

            Varian bit his tongue. Sure, the prospect of getting Rudiger back had been a huge motivator, but if Alrick was hoping for long-term loyalty, he’d be sadly mistaken. But even then, Varian had only been able to accomplish what he had, because he had been supplied with the necessary metal and didn’t have to build the automatons all by himself.

 

            “A promise is a promise, my boy.” Alrick gestured toward his subordinate. “Jerome.”

 

            Jerome dropped the box on the ground; its occupant hissed loudly. He undid the rope and uncovered the crate. An angry raccoon sprang from the box and began sprinting around the room.

 

            “Rudiger!” Varian called out to his raccoon, but the animal didn’t respond. Instead, having nowhere to escape to, it crawled under the bed in the corner of the room.

 

            Norman let go of the boy’s arm, letting him approach the raccoon. He knelt on all fours and looked at the creature below the bed.

 

            “Rudiger?” The raccoon hissed and bared its teeth at Varian. He looked closely at the creature and realized that the lack of recognition was mutual. He swallowed deeply and pushed himself off the stone floor, struggling to keep himself from shaking. In a quiet voice he asked, “Where is Rudiger?”

 

            “The raccoon, why it’s right there.”

 

            “That’s not Rudiger.”

 

            “I don’t understand the problem! You gave us a raccoon and we gave you a raccoon. That was the deal!”

 

            Varian spun around, his light blue eyes tearing up as he glared at Alrick. “No! You _took_ Rudiger from me and now you give me a raccoon, not Rudiger! What did you do to him?”

 

            Alrick sneered, “You should learn to better control your pets!”

 

            Rage clouded Varian’s judgement and he lunged at the Separatist leader. Shocked, Alrick tumbled to the floor on impact. Varian threw punch after punch, trying to inflict some damage to the man who had made his already tragic life even more miserable.

 

            The fight didn’t last long. Varian was at a sore disadvantage. He was a small boy, weakened from lack of food and rest, against a grown man who was a full strength. Alrick flung him to the side and rolled over him, pinning Varian to the ground.

 

            Breathing heavily, Alrick spat, “But perhaps, you should learn to control yourself first!”

 

            Jerome came to his leader’s aid and lifted Varian upright. He knew he was in dire straits, but Varian had some small satisfaction from the sight of blood dripping from Alrick’s nose. Norman was nervously helping the man to his feet.

 

            Alrick wiped his nose on his sleeve and gave Varian a dirty look. “You could have been a great asset, but you truly are small-minded! You could’ve helped us get revenge on the royal family of Corona, but you cared more for your stupid rat!”

 

            Varian snapped back. “You never saw me as an ally! I was simply a means to an end! The moment your men took me from my cell, I became your prisoner!”

 

            “You hardly know how I treat my prisoners, but since you feel that way, might as well make it official! Jerome, why don’t you show our _guest_ here how we treat our prisoners!”

 

            “Boss, he—he’s just a boy!” Norman stuttered.

 

            “Stop being so soft, Norman! He’s a boy alright! One that’s going to learn the hard way to not mess with me, Alrick, leader of the Separatists of Saporia!

 

           Alrick staggered towards the door and motioned for Norman to follow him. The guard hesitated for moment, but then with a sorrowful glance back at the young boy, he followed his leader out the door, clanging it shut behind him. As he walked down the dark hallway, he tried hard to block out the image of the boy’s terrified blue eyes.

 

 

A WEEK EARLIER

 

          Rudiger shifted restlessly in his box. Through a small hole, he could see a man sitting at a table, lazily chomping down on a delicious-looking red apple. Rudiger licked his lips in hunger. The only thing more pressing than his appetite right now was finding his master.

 

          The raccoon noticed a strand of rope across the opening. With his little hand, he pulled at the string until more of the rope was in sight and began to claw at it. Suddenly, another man approached the table.

 

           “Hey there Baldor! What are you doing over here?”

 

           “Just watching over this dumb little creature. Can you believe it! I’ve never been so bored in my entire life! This is worse than when Leo droned on and on about how he improved my soles!”

 

           “That bad, huh?” The man patted his friend on the shoulder sympathetically. “Say, I don’t think the critter is up to anything right now, so, uh, why don’t you and I enjoy a little treat!” He shook a iron flagon in the other man’s face.

 

            Baldor’s face lit up. “Now where did you get that?”

 

           “Nicked it from one of the villagers the other day. They were distracted, what, with losing their plow and I just saw the opportunity and seized it!”

 

           Both men laughed as they poured themselves generous helpings of a yellowish drink. Chinking their mugs together they said in unison, “To life!” They chugged down the liquid and smacked their lips.

 

          “Hey, this is some pretty good stuff!”

 

          “Maybe we should have another and make a toast to the brewer!”

 

          The men downed another mug and then another, soon they were both reclining in their chairs snoring deeply.

 

          Rudiger went back to work; his sharp claws easily sliced through the fraying rope. The raccoon pushed the lid off his box and leapt out. After taking a short break to stretch and enjoy the freedom of movement he had, Rudiger crawled onto the table and dipped his paws in the amber dregs of the men’s cups. He picked up Baldor’s apple core and nibbled, looking at his surroundings.

 

          The room seemed to be a supply room for the kitchens. There were large sacks full of various cooking ingredients, including a bushel of apples. Rudiger unceremoniously dropped the apple core and started to head towards the fruit, but something shiny caught his little eyes. He looked back and forth at the apples and the shiny object until with a huff he went to investigate the glittering item. Around Baldor’s neck was a locket, identical to the one that belonged to Alrick. The raccoon liked the glistening pendant and felt it with his hands. Wanting it, Rudiger pulled the chain off the man and shoved it in his mouth. He knew he had prolonged his stay, but as the raccoon exited the door, he looked back forlornly at the bushel of apples.

 

          Thankfully, the torches lining the hallways cast dark shadows at the edges, making it easy for the monochrome creature to creep along unsuspected. Rudiger wandered about looking for his master’s room, but was unsuccessful. The place was too large and winding, that soon the raccoon was lost. A sudden gust of wind blew through the hall and ruffled Rudiger’s fur. Excited, he began to sprint in the direction the breeze had come; the stifling air of the labyrinth giving way to the freshness of the open sky.

 

           At the end of the hall, there was a large assembly of men hauling in what resembled metal farming tools. Busy with their heavy load, the men failed to spot the raccoon that slipped between their feet and fled into the moonlit night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to end this chapter with some hope. It was a sad thing to write and I didn’t want everyone to finish the chapter thinking something horrible happened to Rudiger. The story is picking up pace now and I can’t wait for you to see where it goes.
> 
> This story is by no means a light one. Personally, I don’t see Disney following my version. This story better reflects the tone that my actual book series will contain; however, even then I did tone it down a bit.
> 
> Can we all just give a round of applause to Varian for creating those music cylinders? I looked up the process and I am incredibly impressed. I didn’t go into all the details, but I was astounded that Varian would be able to do what he did. 
> 
> This chapter was harder for me to name, but then like a flash of light, the word ‘intrigue’ came to mind. It sounded right, but I looked up the definition just to make sure; it fit like a glove. Intrigue (noun) is defined as “the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental to someone.” Stay tuned!


	6. Ghosts of Old Corona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel visits Old Corona and learns more about Varian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanfiction is easy in that you don’t have to come up with all the characters and their personalities on your own; however, it is incredibly difficult when you are trying to create a plausible story without all the information. I don’t know if I said it earlier, but I’m a perfectionist when it comes to writing (that’s why I’ve spent 13 years, the past 6 years of which I have made significant progress, working on my own story). I put a lot of thought into it and if something doesn’t work, it kills me and I’m dissatisfied. Currently, I’m struggling with this story, because I had a vision and it was great, but there are details in the first season that imply that they simply won’t work. 
> 
> Don’t worry this is simply a rant and I’m releasing all my frustrations. When it comes to MY story, I know EVERYTHING! I know how the magic works, pacing, major plot points, etc. But this (dramatic gestures to the computer screen), this has so many unknowns and I’m just going to have to live with that and work on analyzing the story.

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 6: Ghosts of Old Corona

 

            “So, let me get this straight. We’re going to Old Corona to speak with Xavier, because Xavier was one of the few people that spoke to him. You also, believe that Varian is innocent and didn’t escape from prison and instead was broken out of his cell, due to the absence of damage to the door and that the guards were found at their posts and not by the cell door and their keys had been taken!” Eugene gasped.

 

            “Yes,” Rapunzel had been listening closely.

 

            Cassandra shook her head. “I’d agree with everything, except for Varian being innocent.”

 

            “What do you mean?”

 

            “Raps, I don’t think Varian broke himself out of prison, but how do you know that he didn’t kill the guards?”

 

            Rapunzel put her hands together in contemplation. “There was no damage done to the door, from the outside and from the inside, meaning that whoever opened the door, most likely did so with the keys. Who had the keys? The guards had the keys and they were found at their post by the front door to the dungeons. Varian couldn’t possible have gotten their keys, so, whoever did break Varian out of prison must have been the one to kill them.”

 

            Eugene pipped up. “What about a lock pick?”

 

            “Eugene, you’ve been in those cells twice and you weren’t able to escape with a lock pick. I don’t think Varian would have been able to either.”

 

            Cassandra looked at Rapunzel with concern. “Rapunzel, I know you feel bad about Varian, but sometimes you have to accept—”

 

            “Everything I just told you leads me to believe that he was taken from his cell. And if he was taken, then who took him?” Rapunzel said, interrupting. Seeing Cassandra and Eugene’s troubled looks, Rapunzel sighed. “Look, I know you guys think I’m obsessing over this, and maybe I am. But, Varian was our friend. I turned my back on him once. I can’t turn my back on him again.”

 

            Eugene took her hand in his. “Of course, you can’t, Blondie. We’re here with you.”

 

            Rapunzel smiled softly in return. “Thanks, Eugene.”

 

            Switching topics, the friends continued their journey towards Old Corona.

 

From his makeshift workshop, Xavier spotted the princess and her companions approaching. He carefully set his hammer down and tidied up the space in preparation for her arrival.

 

            The guards had finished the reconstruction of the wall and had added a large gate allowing the passage between the two neighboring kingdoms. However, the Kingdom of Equis was far from one of the most benevolent neighbors and so a large battalion of soldiers had taken up the lookout posts. Xavier mostly found himself fixing armor, weapons, and building tools; things that distracted him from his seemingly impossible task: freeing Quirin.   

 

            “Ah! Your Highness! How may I help you?” Xavier greeted the princess.

 

            “Hello, Xavier! We’ve come to ask you a couple of questions. Is that fine with you?”

 

            “Anything for Princess Rapunzel.” The burly blacksmith made his way over to the large dilapidated castle that had been Varian’s home.

 

            Xavier noticed Rapunzel’s discomfort upon entering the building. There was still a gaping hole, where Varian had smashed the door down in his effort to attack everyone. Instead of leading them into the lab, they headed up a set of stairs that blended into the shadows. Before ascending, the princess spotted other remnants of that night. Next to the pit in the floor, Varian’s drill had been recovered and repaired. His various chemical concoctions were strewn haphazardly around the lab. Quirin’s amber prison was covered with the patched-up cloth, concealing the man from view. Varian’s lifelike recreation of himself lay forgotten behind a table.

 

            Xavier led the trio up the stone steps into a room that resembled a home. Unlike the chaos of below, the room appeared to have been recently cleaned. They sat down around a large oaken table, while the blacksmith collected the loose papers that had previously been scattered across it.

 

            “Anything to drink?” Xavier asked.

 

            “Well, that depends. What do you have to offer?” Eugene shot a winning smile at the man. “Ow!”

 

            Cassandra had just elbowed him in the side. “Could you not?” She growled.

 

            Annoyed, Eugene rubbed his ribs, glaring at the woman. “What? Tengo sed! The man offered!”

 

            She rolled her eyes at him and looked away. Xavier laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t have that many options, but I’ll bring out a pot of tea.” He retreated through a side door, leaving the friends to look around.

 

            Eugene started rifling through the leaves of paper, while Cassandra stood to look out the window at the soldiers performing their daily drills. Leaning over her boyfriend’s shoulder, Rapunzel started at various sketches, formulas, and notes that were so convoluted that it made her head spin. Next to detailed drawings of the rocks, were lists of possible theories as to their origin and composition. On another leaf of paper was a depiction of Rapunzel and notes about her hairs abilities and so forth. The pages were filthy, not only with stains from Varian’s chemicals, but with dirt, as if they had been thrown about and trampled under foot.

 

            “Ah, you’re looking at his notes. Interesting, aren’t they?” Xavier had come back.

 

            “Well, if you can understand what they say.” Eugene muttered dropping the pages on the table.

 

            The blacksmith set four cups of steaming tea down on the table and beckoned for Cassandra to join them. Thumbing through the papers, he spoke. “Yes, no one can deny that the boy was a genius—”

 

            “Genius?” Cassandra scoffed, glaring at the notes. “All I see are the frenzied scribblings of a murderer!”

 

            Rapunzel and Eugene stared shocked at her sudden outburst. The lady-in-waiting reddened and with a scowl she turned away from the others.

 

            Xavier smiled sadly. “Varian is a genius, but he’s a reckless and emotionally unstable one. Unfortunately, when partnered, they make for devastating results.” The large man put a hand over his forehead and began to massage his temples. “That poor boy.”

 

            Rapunzel slid over to Xavier’s side and patted him on the back. “We want to help him too, Xavier. We heard that you spoke with him while he was in prison. What did you talk about?

 

            With a sigh, the man lowered his hand and stared at the drawings. “I asked him about this.” He motioned to the papers. “I’m a blacksmith, not a scientist. Your father, the King, asked that I look into finding a way to free Quirin from the amber, but frankly, I haven’t a clue.”

 

            Eugene leaned inwards. “But you made that mood potion and you know a lot of secrets about Corona!”

 

            Xavier shook his head. “I know things, that’s true; but I knew how to brew that potion from an old book on potions and Corona’s history was passed down to me via the oral tradition. Varian, on the other hand, used my potion to create another and of his own.”

 

            “Okay, so what did he tell you about it?” The princess whispered.

 

            “He flat out refused to give me any information.”

 

            “What! Doesn’t he want help freeing his father?”

 

            “No. I told him that if he told me what he had been doing and what he had discovered, that perhaps we could find a way to shatter the amber, but Varian told me that he didn’t want any of our help.”

 

            Rapunzel’s voice rose in exasperation. “But why? I have a connection to the rocks! He kidnapped my mother to force me to help him! Why wouldn’t he want our help?”

 

            Xavier looked at the princess. “I asked him the same thing, but this is what he told me. ‘In my greatest moment of need, I came for help and was rejected. Only now that everything has turned south, do they want to help me. I don’t need their help.’”

 

            Eugene saw Rapunzel’s shoulders droop with guilt. He stood up and put his arms around her. “This isn’t your fault, Rapunzel!”

 

            “He’s right, your Highness. Varian is determined to figure it out himself. He doesn’t want people to help him. He wants to be the one to solve this mystery.”

 

            Rapunzel’s guilt was weighing her down. She heard Eugene and Xavier’s efforts to console her, but she couldn’t listen. “I’m sorry, but I need a moment to myself. Xavier, is it alright if I walk around the house?”

 

            “Of course, your Highness. I just wouldn’t go into the basement alone.”

 

            She nodded and walked off with all three staring after her, their eyes full of worry and concern.

 

            It felt nice to be alone. She knew that the others didn’t want her to feel responsible, but she couldn’t help it. Varian’s rejection of help was difficult for her to understand. Rapunzel climbed a second set of stairs. The third floor was sparsely lit; the windows were boarded and the two doors were closed. Tentatively, she put her upon the first door knob and turned it. The door swung open to reveal disaster.

 

            The room was small, but appeared even smaller as a result of the chaos. Broken bottles, flasks, and furniture were strewn violently across the floor. In the corner, Rapunzel was able to make out a bedframe; it had been stripped of mattress and covers. She noticed a collection of baskets that had split scattering their contents: small beads of colored potions. Rapunzel read the words inked on the baskets and saw that they were cleaning potions. Cassandra had mentioned that Varian had helped her finish her chores in the castle the day of the science expo, with the assistance of various chemical concoctions that the boy had developed.

_So, this is Varian’s room._

 

            The bedroom was a reflection of the boy’s life. The following weeks after his father’s demise, he must have wrecked the place. With a deep swallow, Rapunzel closed the door and went to the next door, which she assumed to be his father’s quarters.

 

            Comparing the two rooms was like night and day. Unlike Varian’s room, Quirin’s was pristine, except for the thick coating of dust that covered everything. Rapunzel eyes wandered over the space. A somber silence seemed to penetrate the stone walls. Eventually, her eyes rested upon a painting on the far side of the room. Careful not to disturb the dust, she made her way over to the picture. The portrait depicted a happy family: two parents smiling contently at their giggling baby.

 

            She placed her hand on the infant’s face. “Oh, Varian. Why had it come to this? She whispered.

 

            “Everything changed when she died.”

 

            Rapunzel whirled around. Xavier was standing in the doorway.

 

            “What do you mean?”

 

            Xavier entered the room. “I thought I’d come check on you.

 

            “I haven’t been gone for long.”

 

            “No, but to be honest, princess, there are things that I haven’t shared with you that I’d feel more comfortable telling you in private.”

 

            Rapunzel sat down on the bed, looking at the blacksmith expectantly. “And why can’t Eugene and Cassandra hear all of this?”

 

            Xavier approached the painting solemnly. “Because they are here for you, but they see the boy as a criminal. You, on the other hand, see the tortured soul that I see.”

 

            Rapunzel remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

 

            “I’ve known Varian for quite some time. His parents weren’t from Corona. Johanna was still pregnant when they moved to Old Corona. Quirin had previously met with your father and they had good rapport. He gave Quirin land to build upon and soon he proved to be a remarkable leader. I didn’t know his wife very well. She kept to herself mostly, but from what I heard, she was a sickly, but intelligent woman.”

 

            “When Varian was eight, Johanna fell deathly ill. The boy was very close to her and when she died, he was beside himself. Having been a friend of Quirin’s for some time, Quirin sent Varian to stay with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he thought that it would be beneficial for Varian to distract himself with an apprenticeship.”

 

            “You taught him how to work with metal?”

 

            “Yes, he proved to be quite a natural. He wasn’t with me for long, but the boy became a capable amateur blacksmith.” Xavier closed his eyes. “He blamed himself for his mother’s death.”

 

            Rapunzel jerked upright. “But why? I mean, he couldn’t have done anything!”

 

            “I tried explaining that to him, but he felt responsible for not having found a cure for her. His mother had encouraged his interests in alchemy, and he had been trying to find a way to heal her, but it hadn’t worked. She died anyway.”

 

            Rapunzel shivered as a chilling wind slipped through the curtains. The blacksmith sat down next to her.

 

            “I told Quirin that he shouldn’t have sent the boy to stay with me.”

 

            “Why?”

 

            “Varian saw his being sent away as confirmation that his father was disappointed in him for being unable to save his mother. After that day, Varian became obsessed with proving to Quirin that he could have faith in him.”

 

            “He wanted to make his father proud.” Rapunzel whispered.

 

            “Exactly. Now, do you realize what happened?”

 

            Rapunzel looked at Xavier in confusion. “What do you mean?”

 

            Xavier pointed downstairs. “With Quirin.”

 

            Rapunzel thought back to the day of the snow storm. Varian had come rushing in begging for help.

 

            _“My dad’s in danger!_

_“The rocks! They’re encasing my dad!”_

           Later Varian had threatened to do the same to Queen Arianna. He’d pulled out one of his chemical formulas and dropped some onto the black rocks, causing them to turn amber in color and grow wildly.

 

           “You mean he did that to his own father!” Rapunzel gasped.

 

           Xavier replied with a grunt. “It was an accident of course, but yes. I’m guessing that Varian was trying to figure a way to get rid of the rocks and they had a dangerous reaction to the formula causing the amber to grow.”

 

           “So, Varian is blaming me for not saving his dad, because he doesn’t want to accept responsibility for his—.” Rapunzel couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

 

           “He already feels guilty for his mother. How is he supposed to handle his father too?”

 

           Rapunzel buried her head into her hands. “What am I to do? I would gladly have helped him had the circumstances permitted, but after what happened that night, even my hair wasn’t enough to break the amber.”

 

           Xavier stood up. “I don’t specialize in understanding how people work, princess. But being here in Old Corona and struggling to find a break in this situation, I find myself reflecting more and more on the boy’s actions. I think I better understand him now. He knows he’s responsible and feels the guilt deeply. His refusing help stems from believing he doesn’t deserve help.”

 

           “He’s punishing himself, then.”

 

           “Yes, your Highness.”

 

           There was a knock on the door. Eugene was standing in the doorway.

 

           “You doing okay, Blondie?”

 

          She exhaled deeply and smiled. “Yeah, I’m doing a lot better.” She strode over to her boyfriend and laced her fingers with his. “Xavier.” The blacksmith looked at her. “Thank you for telling me all of this.”

 

          “No, thank you, Princess Rapunzel, for caring.”

 

          They heard Cassandra call up from the second floor. “You guys done up there?”

 

         “Coming!” Rapunzel replied.

 

         “Are you ready to go?” Eugene whispered.

 

          Glancing once more towards the portrait of Varian’s family, she nodded and slowly began heading back to the stairs. “Yes, I believe I gathered what information I needed.”

 

          Eugene, Cassandra, and Xavier followed Rapunzel as she made her way back down to the first floor. Just as she was turning to exit, a gleam caught Rapunzel’s eye from inside the lab. She changed direction and approached the glittering object. It was coming from inside a satchel that had fallen to the floor. Rapunzel pulled out a silver cylinder from the bag and held it up.

 

          “The graphtyc!” Eugene cried.

 

            Rapunzel fished out the scroll from inside and showed it to the blacksmith. “Xavier, can you read this?”

 

           Xavier glimpsed at the characters on the page and shook his head. “That language appears to be ancient and not from Corona. I’m sorry, your Highness, I can’t read that without an interpreter.” He looked closely at the rocks. “Also, this scroll is incomplete. Not only is it missing the rest of the inscription on the moon and rocks, but there seems to be an entire section that has been torn away.” He motioned to the right border of the scroll. His eyes widened and he ran into the lab.

 

         The others looked on in surprise. Behind the amber monolith they heard Xavier call for help. They rushed over to where the blacksmith was struggling to drag one of the black rocks.

 

         “This is one of the black rocks!” Rapunzel leaned into inspect the base. “But it’s been severed! I thought they were unbreakable!”

 

         Huffing from the effort of pulling the rock out, Xavier spoke. “I found this a couple of days ago. It was on the side of the road a little way off and with incredible difficulty I managed to get it back here.” He saw Rapunzel’s eyes shift towards the amber. “It didn’t work, princess. I already tried to break the amber, but nothing happened.”

 

         Rapunzel sighed. “I guess I should have known when it didn’t glow in reaction to my hair.”

 

         Cassandra circled the spike. “What could have cut it? I tried all sorts of things on Rapunzel’s hair when it grew back and nothing worked!”

 

         Xavier wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “These rocks are magic as is Rapunzel’s hair. No ordinary object would be able to cut them. Unfortunately, I can think of only one person that could have told us.”

 

         The four of them looked up at amber above them. Quirin was concealed from view.

 

          “Hang on a second! What’s that in his hand?” Eugene asked pointing to a small portion of the amber that was peeking out from under the sheets.

 

          “It looks like a note!” Cassandra grabbed a ladder from the floor and placed it against the amber. She climbed the rungs until she was level with Quirin’s hand.

 

          “Can you read it?”

 

          “Sorry Raps, it’s crushed in his hand. All I can make out is ‘Son’.”

 

           “He must have been writing a letter to Varian while he was being encased!”

 

           “Maybe it was a letter telling him to be a good boy and not go crazy and try to kill everyone.” Eugene quailed under the angry glares of both Rapunzel and Xavier. “Sorry, too soon, wasn’t it?” He smiled sheepishly.

 

           Suddenly, they heard a rustling noise from the lab’s entrance. Cassandra slid down from the ladder and followed the rest of them as they headed towards the source of the sound. The noise was coming from near the front window where Varian’s puppet lay.

 

           “AHHHHHHHHH!” Eugene jumped right when the doll fell over. “It’s alive!”

 

            Cassandra scoffed and punched him in the arm. “Man up, Fitzherbert! You’ve been spending too much time with Lance!”

 

            Rapunzel ignored them and carefully pulled on the puppet’s legs, revealing what had been hiding behind.

 

            “Rudiger!”

 

            The raccoon gazed up at the people surrounding him, his little eyes stopping at the princess. With an excited chitter, he leapt into her outstretched arms. She held him close and stroked his matted fur. Rapunzel observed that the creature was filthy and exhausted.

 

           “Wait, didn’t he disappear with Varian?” Cassandra whipped out her blade and stared at every shadow. “The boy’s probably here waiting to attack us.”

 

           Eugene bent down and picked up a locket that was lying at on the stone floor. He unclasped it and stared at the familiar insignia. “Guys, you might want to look at this.”

 

           “The Separatists of Saporia!” They exclaimed simultaneously.

 

           “I guess that explains who broke him out.” Cassandra breathed.

 

           Rudiger hissed at the locket. Rapunzel hugged him closely. “Rudiger, what’s wrong?” She looked down into the masked creature’s eyes. They were staring at her pleadingly. Rapunzel looked back at her comrades. “Guys, I think Varian’s in trouble!”

 

           With a click, Eugene closed the locket. “I’m guessing we’re going to search for the kid.”

 

           Cassandra sheathed her sword and stared warily at the locket. “Raps, we don’t know if Varian is helping the Separatists.”

 

           Rudiger crawled onto Rapunzel’s shoulders and dug his face into her neck. The princess bowed her head. In her mind, she saw the smiling baby from the family portrait and heard the boy’s desperate plea.

 

_“You are the only one who can help!”_

            Her eyes snapped open. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t let him down again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I studied quite a bit about grief and shame in preparation for this chapter and it was some pretty powerful stuff. 
> 
> I’m sorry this chapter took so long to write. I’ve been preoccupied with other assignments, tests, and school applications, but I’ll try to get the next one out sooner, but no promises!
> 
> Thanks for reading and please tell me if you have any ideas or things that you would like addressed in later chapters. Your comments are helpful.


	7. Vengeful Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and co. rescue Varian. But will he cooperate with them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my last chapter didn’t shine so kindly on Cassandra, but I just want to say, that I feel like Varian’s betrayal was particularly brutal for her. She differs from Rapunzel in that it’s a lot harder to earn her trust, so when that trust is broken, she takes it hard. Some of the things she said last chapter, weren’t true, but came from the emotional distress that the Battle of Old Corona left on her.
> 
> I’ve been waiting a long time to get to this chapter. I planned to have this out earlier, but it took me a bit longer to finish and I’m sorry for that. ENJOY!

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 7: Vengeful Confrontation

 

            “Dad, I think we found Varian.”

 

            “What? Where!” King Frederic asked.

 

            Rapunzel looked sideways to her companions. Cassandra frowned grimly, while Eugene gave an encouraging smile; a freshly bathed Rudiger was curled around Eugene’s neck. “We aren’t exactly sure of the location, but we found his pet raccoon and he knows where Varian is. He’ll lead us to him.”

 

            Frederic glanced skeptically at the animal. “If you say so, my dear. I’ll send a battalion of men to capture him.”

 

            “No, Dad!” Everyone was looking at the princess. With a deep breath, she stared directly into her father’s puzzled eyes. “Based on the information we’ve gathered, a large battalion would not be a good idea. What we’ve planned will require a more stealthy entry. Trust me, Dad.”

 

            The king sighed, his brows furrowed in conflict. After a moment, he looked up at his precious daughter. “I do, Rapunzel. Very well, if you have a plan, I trust that you will be careful.”

 

            With a glowing smile, Rapunzel gave her father one of her infamous bearhugs. “Don’t worry, I will be.” She whispered softly.

 

            That had been a couple of days ago and now Rapunzel and her friends had exited Corona and were in the Kingdom of Equis. They knew full where they were headed, having followed Rudiger after finding him in Varian’s lab, but Rapunzel didn’t want her father to worry about her sneaking into the lair of the Separatists of Saporia.

 

            “I can’t believe I lied to him!”

 

            “I know, next the princess of Corona will be cheating and stealing!” Cassandra teased.

 

            “Do you think—”

 

            “Blondie, don’t worry about it! The only lie you told was that we didn’t know where the kid was. I hardly consider that to be the beginning of your life of crime.”

 

            The corners of Rapunzel’s mouth rose in a slight smile. “Thanks Eugene.”

 

            In the distance they spotted the hideout that Rudiger had led them to earlier; an old mine that had been abandoned for decades. A couple miles east of the mine was an Equian town, Heilen. Approaching the mine, Rapunzel and the others dismounted.

 

            “Max, Fidella, I need the two of you to stay here and keep low. We don’t anyone to realize that we’re from Corona.” Rapunzel said stroking the horses lovingly.

 

            Max snorted in understanding. He nudged Fidella towards a hedge of bushes to conceal themselves.

 

            Rudiger chittered excitedly. The princess looked down at the racoon. “I think you ought to stay with them, Rudiger.”

 

            The raccoon huffed bitterly, but crawled over to where the horses had hidden themselves.

 

           Rapunzel turned to her companions. “Okay, everyone get ready.” She lifted the hood of her cloak, hiding her golden hair. Cassandra unsheathed her sword and checked its sharpness. Eugene stared at his reflection in the stream running nearby and gave a confidant grin. Cautiously, they began to creep towards the entrance.

 

           “Who are you?”

 

           The trio jumped at the appearance of man from behind. He was pulling a handcart that was full of crops from the fields. Eugene regained his composure and stepped in front of Rapunzel

 

            With a charming indifference, he replied. “Oh! My good sir! You certainly know how to startle a group of poor explorers! My companions and I have been travelling across the seven kingdoms and no one has gotten the better of us!” He put an arm around the man. “That is until you came along!”

 

            The man’s face darkened and he shrugged Eugene’s arm off. “Poor explorers? Do you take me for a fool?” He glimpsed over his shoulder, before turning back to them. “You didn’t come from Heilen, I would’ve recognized you.” His brown eyes focused on Cassandra’s sword. “What are a bunch of Coronans doing here in Equis?”

 

            Cassandra pointed her sword at him. “Why would you come to such a conclusion? My friend here told the truth; we’re explorers.”

 

            Shaking his head, he set his cart down and motioned for Cassandra to put the blade down. “If you were explorers, you wouldn’t have a clue about what lay ahead, but I overheard you just now. Besides, I just heard you say you didn’t want anyone to know you’re from Corona. You’re planning on sneaking into that mine, aren’t you?”

 

            “Who are you?” Cassandra spat.

 

            “No need to be hostile! Let me guess, you’re here looking for someone.”

 

            “What makes you say that?”

 

            The man pointed to the raccoon huddled around Eugene’s boot. “I know who that little critter belongs too.”

 

            They all stared at Rudiger. He had crept out from the bushes in an attempt to follow them. Uncomfortable being the center of attention, Rudiger climbed up Eugene and jumped into Rapunzel’s arms. Rapunzel emerged from behind Eugene and started the man in the face.

 

            “You know Varian?”

 

            He nodded slowly. “I met him a little while back. Smart kid, if a little rash. You’re here to rescue him?”

 

            Cassandra stabbed her sword into the dirt. “Before we answer your questions, why don’t you answer some. Who are you?”

 

            “My name is Norman and yes, I’m a separatist.” Upon seeing them raise their weapons and fists in alarm, he rushed to finish. “Wait, I may have little love for Corona, but I don’t want anything bad to happen to that kid!”

 

            Rapunzel held her frying pan threateningly. “What do you mean?”

 

            Norman sat down on the earth and beckoned for them to follow. Hesitantly, they did so and waited for his explanation.

 

            In hushed tones, he said, “The boy was brought here with the intention of working for us, but he proved uncooperative and was thrown into the dungeons.” Tearfully, he continued. “My reasons for being with the separatists are my own, but I don’t want to hurt children and I worry about him. He was so skinny and frail when he was taken to the cells.” Norman wiped the tears from his cheeks. “So, if you’re here to rescue that boy, I won’t stop you.”

 

            Rapunzel gently took his hands in her own. “Thank you, Norman. We want to help Varian too.”

 

            Eugene stood and looked at Norman’s crop-laden cart. With a devious smile he asked. “Hey Norman, do you want to help?”

 

MOMENTS LATER

 

            “There you are Norman! We were beginning to wonder where you were. What held you up?”

 

            “Nothing much, just my shoulder. I think I pulled something working in the fields.” Norman rubbed his shoulder, feigning discomfort.

 

            “That’s too bad. Well, be careful with it. I’d tell you go get it checked out, but with the assembly today, I suggest you drop that off and head towards the main hall.”

 

            Norman winced. “Thanks, Van. I’d almost forgotten about that thing. Will I see you there?”

 

            Van shook his head. “Unfortunately, not. I have guard duty till after. I was told, I’d be given the run down once my shift is up.”

 

            “Alright then, see you later.” Norman picked up the rail of the handcart and pulled it into the cave.

 

            To his delight, the caves were practically empty, since everyone that could be spared was to head to the main hall. He turned a corner and gently set the cart’s handle down on the stone. Stepping over to the back, he brushed away the wheat stalks and pulled back on a blanket revealing Rapunzel and her friends.

 

            “Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was going to suffocate underneath that!” Eugene breathed deeply and fanned himself.

 

            “Shhh! I don’t want to get caught!” Norman hissed. “Okay, now listen. I’ve already told you how to get to the cells, but even though most of the guards are attending the assembly, you have to be careful. Alrick will have someone outside of the boy’s cell. Follow my directions and then get out.” He looked nervously at the cart. You guys have a plan to get out?”

 

            Rapunzel wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. “Eugene here is our resident expert on infiltration. I’m sure we’ll be able to get out. Thanks again, Norman! I don’t know how we would have gotten this far without you.”

 

            Checking to make sure, all her weapons were still in place, Cassandra murmured. “I do.”

 

            Norman smiled grimly. “Good luck then. And remember, the mine is shaped like a ring. For the most part, any direction you pick, should eventually lead you back to where you started.” He returned and picked up the cart. “Tell the kid, I’m sorry.” He left them behind on his way to the store room.

 

            Eugene led the others in the direction Norman had instructed them. The hallways did follow a general ring-like pattern, but the tunnels wound every direction. Before turning a corner, they were sure to look in all possible directions to confirm that they were alone.

 

            Rapunzel felt herself shivering. Despite the torches that lined the walls every few meters, the corridors were unbearably bleak. The flames cast sinister dancing shadows against the rock; sturdy support beams held up the earthen ceiling in place. All of it combined to create a miserable atmosphere, but the worst was the silence.

 

            After Norman’s warning, the three of them decided that they should simply refrain from speaking unless absolutely necessary. Cassandra made sure that Eugene held true to that arrangement. The only noise was that of their boots, or in Rapunzel’s case, her feet, hitting the floor. The silence was so complete that Rapunzel had to remind herself to breathe, but each inhale and exhale sounded deafening.

 

            At long last the approached the entrance to the dungeons. The door had a small grated window that allowed for them to peer inside. There was another hallway, this one lit by a solitary torch. The feeble light just barely illuminated the doors that lined the wall: the cells. Underneath the torch was a guard sitting on a wooden stool.

 

            Eugene beckoned the other two to huddle up. “I saw his belt. He has the keys there.”

 

            Cassandra peered through the window again before whispering, “I can take him out.”

 

            Rapunzel’s eyes darted to her lady-in-waiting’s sword. “Can’t we find a less violent option?”

 

            Eugene frowned thoughtfully. “Rapunzel’s right. We only see one guard, but there might be another hidden from view. His eyes wandered to the princess’ shoulder. “Pascal!”

           

           The guard stared unblinkingly at the rough wall before him. He hated guard duty, especially in the dungeons. He didn’t even understand the point of being there to begin with. There was only one prisoner and he was just a little kid.

 

            He’d heard the rumors that the boy was some sort of magician, but when he saw the boy get dragged in a few weeks ago, he hadn’t been impressed. The kid looked pitiful; his head drooped unconsciously on his chest as Jerome hauled him into one of the cells.

 

            He silently thanked his creator, that he never had to go feed the prisoner. He knew he wasn’t alone in feeling uncomfortable about the age and physical condition of the boy, but his job was his job and he wasn’t going to argue about it. At least he didn’t have to interact with the prisoner.

 

           The door creaked open and he looked to see who had entered. The torch cast enough light to see a shadowy figure.

 

           "Who’s there?”

 

           “Oh no! Have you seen it?” The shadowy figure morphed into a worried young man. With a frantic desperation, his eyes shifted left and right, up and down looking for something.

 

           “Easy there! What have you lost?”

 

           The man stared him in the face. “I was at the assembly in charge of a valuable little creature.” He started to bite his nails nervously. “But then it escaped! I chased it down here, but I don’t know where it is! Have you seen a small frog-like creature?”

 

           The guard looked around in confusion. “No—no, I’m afraid I haven’t.”

 

           “Is there anyone else here that can help?”

 

           “No, I’m the only one, everyone else is at the assem—"

 

           The man grabbed his shirt. “Then help me find it, or it’ll be both our heads!”

 

           That made him panic. He felt his heart beat racing as he carefully scanned the hallway. The other man was on all fours looking. Suddenly, he jumped up triumphantly.

 

           “Aha! I found you, you little miscreant!” He turned to show the guard a small smoke-colored creature. “See this is the little terror, we were looking for!”

 

            The guard looked closely. It was the oddest thing he had ever seen; the creatures color seemed to lighten and become a vibrant green. “Curious, and you said this was for the assem—”

 

            CLANG!

 

            Cassandra was holding Rapunzel’s cast iron pan. At the sight of the pan, Eugene winced and rubbed the back of his head. He stared sympathetically at the guard crumpled on the floor.

 

            “There’s no need to have such a sadistic grin on your face. You know those things hurt pretty badly!”

 

            Cassandra scoffed. “Well, you’d know all about that, seeing as you’ve been hit twice now.”

 

            “Actually, it would be three times, and yes, I am well acquainted with the effectiveness of the frying pan. I don’t need you to remind me.”

 

            Rapunzel was untying the keys from the unconscious guard’s belt. “I guess there isn’t a need for quiet anymore.”

 

            “After, this fools overly dramatic performance, I don’t see the point in staying quiet!”

 

            “Excuse me, Cassandra, my performance was flawless! The man didn’t know what was coming!”

 

            Pascal glared at Eugene and crawled from his hand over to Rapunzel’s shoulder. He motioned at her boyfriend with great irritation.

 

            Rapunzel giggled. “Yes, Pascal, I saw your marvelous show. You really nailed the part!” Turning to Cassandra and Eugene, she held up the keys. “Okay, now let’s find the right door.”

 

            Sword drawn, Cassandra positioned herself at the hall’s entrance while Rapunzel approached the door furthest from where they had entered. She tried key after key until the door clicked open. Eugene took the torch from the wall and poked it inside.

 

            The cell was empty. They went to the next with similar results. Opening the third door, Rapunzel felt her hands trembling. She was terrified of what she would find. In her desire to save Varian, Rapunzel had nearly forgotten their last bitter encounter. He had been so angry and cruel. She sighed, amazed at how much fury could inhabit a person the size of Varian.

 

            The door creaked open and Eugene poked the flame through the opening. Its flickering light fell upon a small figure on the far side of the wall: Varian. The boy was sitting on the uneven floor, his head tilted sideways away from the door. Rapunzel drew closer to him. She noticed his boots were absent, leaving his bare feet to curl under him. Even more concerning was that his arms were suspended over his head by chains. Despite the discomfort she was sure he was in, Varian appeared to be sleeping.

 

            With bated breath, Rapunzel knelt beside the young alchemist and gently nudged him. “Varian. Varian!”

 

            The boy stirred and slid his feet out from under him. Yawning, he opened his eyes and stared straight into the princess’ green eyes.

 

            He yelped and pushed himself against the stone behind him. “YOU!”

 

            “Hello, Varian.” Rapunzel awkwardly replied.

 

            His eyes wide with bewilderment, Varian shifted his gaze to Eugene who was looking down at him with pity. “You!”

 

            “Well, normally I prefer to be called Eugene, but considering your state, kid, I think I can accept being called ‘you’.”

 

            The boy’s face darkened. “What are you doing here?”

 

            Eugene found a spot on the wall for a torch and left the fire there. Rapunzel handed him the keys and as he fiddled to find the right one to unlock Varian’s manacles, the princess answered his question.

 

            “We’re here to rescue you. We’ve been trying to find you for weeks!” Rapunzel tenderly held Varian’s wrists as her boyfriend unlocked the chain. The moment they came free, Varian jerked them out of her hands.

 

            “Why are you really here?” He glared at her.

 

            “She already told you, kid. I wouldn’t start talking back to people who are trying to help you!” Eugene rebuked him.

 

            Varian’s eyes flashed angrily. “I don’t recall asking for your help!”

 

            Rapunzel felt her frustration growing. She remembered what Xavier had told her.

 

            _“His refusing of help stems from believing he doesn’t deserve help.”_

            She looked him up and down. Though it was hard to tell in the lighting, she could tell that he had multiple bruises and cuts on his body. His clothes were ragged, torn, and baggy on his tiny frame. It was apparent that the boy had hardly been given enough food to sustain himself.

 

            “Cass! Can you bring me my bag?”

 

            She heard her lady-in-waiting shift as she left her post to bring the satchel. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

 

            “Cass?” Rapunzel turned over her shoulder to see where her friend was.

 

            Cassandra was standing frozen in the doorway. Her eyes met Varian’s.

 

            “Hello, Cassie! How are you doing?” Varian said with a sarcastic smirk on his face.

 

            Cassandra took a deep breath and tossed the bag to Rapunzel. “I need to keep watch.” She left the cell.

 

            Eugene glared at Varian. “Hey! Keep talking like that and we’ll just leave you here and let you break yourself out!”

 

            The alchemist shrugged nonchalantly. “Like I said, I didn’t ask for your help.”

 

            Rapunzel struggled to keep herself from yelling at Varian as she pulled out a roll from her bag and put it in his hands. “You may not have asked for our help, but you clearly need it. Eat up!”

 

            She lifted her eyes and stared directly into Varian’s eyes. She could tell her was fuming beneath his bitter façade. No matter how humiliating it was for him to be rescued by people he considered to be his enemies, he knew he needed their help. 

 

            Keeping his eyes firmly on Rapunzel’s face, he lifted the bread and ripped a chunk out with his teeth. Then another and another, till the roll disappeared. He watched as Rapunzel took out some linen bandages and began wrapping his wrists where the manacles had dug into his skin leaving them raw. His instinct was push her away, but he restrained himself and let her cover the wounds.

 

            When she had finished, Eugene put a hand on Rapunzel’s back. “We should get out of here.”

 

            Varian spoke without taking his eyes of the princess. “First, we have to go to my lab.”

 

            “Kid, we really ought to get out of here.”

 

            Varian shifted his gaze to Eugene. “Well, unless you want these people to attack Corona, using _my_ automatons, I suggest we go to my lab.”

 

            Rapunzel gasped. “Automatons!”

 

            Varian pushed himself upright, using the wall to steady himself. “Yeah, why else do you think they broke me out of prison? But don’t worry, I have a way to destroy them, before they get used.” He tried to walk towards the door, only for his legs to give out.

 

            Eugene scooped him up in his arms. “I guess I have to carry you!” He winked.

 

            Varian forced himself out of Eugene’s arms and onto the floor. “I can walk, I just haven’t been given the opportunity to for a while. He propelled himself out the door on his wobbly bare feet. With each step, he became more sure and steady, Rapunzel and Eugene following close behind.

 

            Cassandra fell in alongside them after locking the guard in Varian’s cell. They made their way through the halls, this time following Varian who seemed to know where he was going. Once again, there wasn’t anyone around to spot them. Eventually, they stopped at another locked door. Varian looked at Eugene expectantly.

 

            “You’re the thief, pick the lock.”

 

            Eugene scowled. “Former thief.” He corrected, nevertheless he kneeled in front of the lock, pulling out some tools from his pockets. He jiggled with the mechanism until it clicked open.

 

            The four of them pushed the door open to reveal Varian’s lab. The alchemist collected his personal items that had been removed from him and sat down on the bed. While he was sliding his feet into his boots, Rapunzel approached the table full of alchemy materials and began flipping through the pieces of paper.

 

            Fully dressed, Varian uncovered the crate beside the table and pulled out the bag full of colored spheres. He motioned for the princess to step aside, extracting one of the orange balls from the bag. Gingerly, he set it down on top of his notes and picked up a hammer. With the hammer he smashed the orb releasing a brilliant flash of light followed by a sizzling noise. Suddenly, there was a crash and the sound of glass breaking.

 

            The smoke cleared revealing the chaos left behind. The orb had eaten away the papers and enough of the wood from the table, weakening it enough to make it collapse. Rapunzel carefully stepped away from the mess, making sure not to step on any stray pieces of glass by accident. Varian scoured over the remains, verifying that everything had been destroyed. Satisfied with the results, he turned to the others and held up another orange bead.

 

            “This is how we’ll destroy the automatons.”

 

            Eugene swatted some of the remaining fumes away from his face. “Looks effective, but where are these automatons?”

 

            Varian’s shoulders drooped. “I’m not exactly sure. I was never allowed to wander the halls. The only reason I could find this place was because they thought I was unconscious when the dragged me to the dungeon.” He sat down on the stool deep in thought.

 

            _Where would they be? They’d be too big to fully assemble in a closed space. They’d have to be somewhere where they would have enough room._

            A shaft of light blinded Varian. Squinting, he looked up at the window high above. It was the first ray of natural light that he had felt in what seemed like forever. The golden glow felt comforting and he let it warm him. The thought of being in the open where he could move in any direction was enticing. An image of his father trapped in the amber crystal shot through his head, startling him from his trance. The light had shifted enough that is was no longer blinding him, allowing Varian to stare at the blue sky.

 

            Varian clapped his hands together. “I know where they are! They’re being kept outside!”

 

            He leapt to his feet and began pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. “I kept hearing their clanging as they fashioned the pieces and if they’re out there then it would be easy to mobilize them.”

 

            Eugene stared at the rambling alchemist with confusion. “Does anyone understand this child?”

 

            Varian stopped and turned to face Eugene, Rapunzel, and Cassandra. “The separatists probably have my automatons outside somewhere. The doors in this place are too small to make moving them easy if they were inside. The only thing I don’t get is how they would have hidden them.”

 

            “I remember Norman telling us that this mine is shaped like a circle. There must be something in the center!” Cassandra said.

 

            “Right, and using my excellent sense of direction, we appear to be on the interior wall of the circle.”

 

            Rapunzel lifted Pascal from her shoulder. “Which means that that window would be looking out into the center of this complex. Pascal, do you think you could see what’s on the other side of that window?”

 

            The chameleon squeaked in affirmation. Eugene grabbed the stool and set it underneath the opening. He picked up Pascal and stood on the chair, extending his arm as high as he could. Pascal was barely able to leap onto the ledge. He looked through the glass and back at the group. He flashed a bright shade of blue, confirming their suppositions.

 

            “The automatons are out there! Pascal, do you see any entrances that we can make for?” Rapunzel asked.

 

            Pascal scanned the field outside. Row upon row of automatons had been assembled, but he could barely make out a gate that led into the grounds. Again, he flashed blue and dropped himself onto Eugene’s outstretched hand.

 

             Eugene returned him to Rapunzel’s shoulder. Using his tail, Pascal pointed in the direction that they were to go. Rapunzel and her friends rushed out of the lab, heading towards the gate. Varian was the last to leave. He neared the crate and extracted a thin, sturdy cord from the contents along with one of the wood panels. Pocketing them, he left the room with cold determination and followed the others.

 

            The gate Pascal had seen wasn’t far from the lab. Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked and Cassandra burst through and ran into the fresh air. After the mugginess of the tunnels, everyone was relieved to be out in the sunshine. Varian hesitated at the door frame. He had been kept inside for so long that being outside was something he had nearly forgotten. The last time he remembered really being outside had been at Old Corona, before his arrest. He breathed the fresh air and stepped into the sun.

 

            The others were staring in fearful awe at the rows of automatons. Varian lifted the bag to shoulder level. “You’ll need these to destroy them.” They turned to face him. He handed each of them a handful of orbs. “Throw these onto the timing mechanism. Make sure you throw them hard or else they won’t shatter. The liquid inside will dissolve the cylinder and render the rest useless scrap metal.”

 

            Cassandra eyed Varian warily. “Aren’t you going to help?”

 

            Varian laughed. “I’m still getting used to walking, I hardly think that I can throw hard or accurately enough to get the desired results.”

 

            Rapunzel nervously handled the orange beads. “I guess we better get started. We don’t know when the separatists will find out we’re here.”

 

            Eugene gently tossed one of the pellets in the air and caught it. “Pretty light, but let’s see how it goes!” He approached the nearest automaton and hurled the chemical at the timing cylinder. It smashed and the orange liquid hissed as it ate away the metal. The automaton groaned and collapsed, knocking over the one in front of it.

 

            Rapunzel threw one of her orbs at the fallen machine, destroying its mechanism. She marveled at how just a minute amount of the formula was able to ruin the large automatons. She quickly passed to the next machine and repeated the process.

 

            It was exhausting work and they were beginning to feel the wear in their arms and shoulders. Only two automatons were left when they were caught. The assembly must have finished.

 

            “Hey! Stop them!” A burly separatist cried out. Accompanied by his comrades, he chased the trio.

 

            Cassandra turned and kneed the man in the stomach. As he bent over in pain, she leapt onto his back and threw her last orb at the automaton. It sizzled as the chemical melted the metal. Eugene jumped onto the crumbling machine and lobbed a bead at the final automaton.

 

            Landing with practiced grace, Eugene called out triumphantly. “We did it! Perfect timing too!”

 

            Rapunzel had untied her hair and used it to apprehend the other men that had attacked them. After giving them a whack with her frying pan, Rapunzel untangled herself from them. More separatists had begun pouring into the courtyard upon hearing the commotion.

 

            Drawing her sword, Cassandra yelled. “Perfect timing? Perfect timing would have been if we’d finished before these guys found us!”

 

            Rapunzel searched frantically. “Wait! Where’s Varian?”

 

            The young alchemist was nowhere to be found. The door they had used to enter the courtyard was closed though none of the separatists were coming through it.

 

            “If he’s run off and left us here to die, I swear I’m going to—to—to develop a potion that will turn him into a pig!”

 

            “That’s all you can think of?” Cassandra smirked.

 

            “Honestly, I’m too annoyed to think clearly.”

 

            “Come on guys, we have to get to that door, before they surround us!” Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra ran towards the door bundling up Rapunzel’s golden locks on the way. The furious shouts of the horde behind were muffled once the door slammed shut.

 

            Rapunzel and Cassandra hastily stacked anything they could find against the door in hopes of keeping the men out. Unfortunately, the hallways were barren for the most part and they soon decided to sprint as far away from the door as possible.

 

            They turned corner after corner, until an enormous explosion burst from one of the halls ahead of them. The walls around them began to shake and fragments of the stone wall cracked and fell to the floor. Soon the trio found themselves clinging to one another as the beams holding the earthen ceiling aloft splintered under the immense stress.

 

            “The tunnels are collapsing!” Rapunzel cried out.

 

            Cassandra and Eugene gasped as the princess’ hair glowed a brilliant yellow. Just as the beams caved in showering them with rock and soil, her hair flashed and encircled the group in a protective cocoon.

 

EARLIER

 

            Varian watched as the princess and her friends destroyed the automatons. He’d called them his, but seeing as he hadn’t really built them, he didn’t consider them to be truly his creation. Putting a hand in his apron’s pocket, he pulled out a handful of the orange formula. Seeing as the other were preoccupied with their task, Varian spun around and returned to the shadows of the tunnels.

 

            _I’ve got work to do._

 

           The alchemist quickly walked down the dark corridors of the hideout. The beating he received from Jerome kept him from moving as rapidly as he would have liked.

 

            _Never mind that now. They’ll get what’s coming to them._

 

            As he neared a corner, he heard voices. Realizing the assembly must have ended, Varian quietly back away down another corridor and set to work. He took one of the chemical orbs and placed it carefully next to one of the support beams. Removing the flat piece of wood, he had pried from the crate, Varian propped the plank up with a stick. He tied the thin cord around the stick and positioned the contraption above the orange ball. Gently, he attached the other end of the string to heavy rock he had found along the wall.

 

            His trip wire in place, he moved to the next beam and laid down another orb. He continued down the hallway until he had laid down every last chemical sphere in his possession. He stood up to admire his handiwork and turned to run away, leaving the poor hapless soul who would trigger the device to their fate.

 

           “Sir, there are people destroying the automatons!”

 

           “WHAT! Send everyone after them! I want them brought to me alive!”

 

           Varian froze. He recognized that voice: Alrick! Turning around, Varian squinted in the darkness. He could just barely see the familiar silhouette of the Separatists of Saporia’s leader turn the corner.

 

           Alrick looked up and saw Varian. He stared at the alchemist in confusion; the torch above him illuminating his features.

 

           “You! How did you get out of your cell?” He eyed the boy curiously. “Are you behind this attack?”

 

           Varian shot him a sinister grin. “Oh, I made sure you wouldn’t be using my skills at all!”

 

           The man growled in anger. “Now why would you do that, boy? I thought you hated Corona! Those machines would have been instrumental in defeating King Frederic and his ridiculous court! I thought you wanted to see them burn!

 

           Heart pounding, Varian snapped. “I may not be allies with Corona and I sure don’t care about what happens to them, but there isn’t anyone I despise more than you!” He pointed his finger at the man. “You obviously didn’t do your research, Alrick.”

 

           Alrick’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, boy?”

 

           “You only cared about fact that I had attacked the royal family, but you never bother to ask why!” Varian voice quivered. “Corona neglected me in my hour of need! You, on the other hand, kidnapped me, threatened me, mistreated me, and—and killed the only friend I had! Why would I want you to defeat Corona, when you’ve given me a greater reason to hate you than they ever have?”

 

            Alrick snarled, “Well, that was my mistake, but yours was failing to escape when you had the chance!” He lunged forward.

 

            Immediately, Varian recognized the problem. He had planned to be far away when his contraption was triggered, but he had been distracted by the presence of Alrick. In horror, he watched as the man’s foot yanked the stick out from underneath the plank of wood. Time seemed to slow as it fell down, crushing the orange sphere at the base of the support beam.

 

            Alrick felt the cord on his foot and looked down to see what had happened. The bottom of the wooden beam keeping the roof of the tunnel intact was gone! The upper part of the pillar creaked and groaned before fracturing. Alrick just managed to dive out of the way as the beam and earth above it came crumbling down around him.

 

            The collapsing tunnel triggered the other beads to explode as well. Soon the tunnel was caving in under the stress of the weight above. Varian was paralyzed with fear. His eyes glazed over as the rocks came tumbling down upon him. He fell to the floor, the fragments of wood and stone entombing him.

 

            Not far away, Rapunzel’s hair shattered the rocky prison that had encased them. Shaken, Rapunzel stood up to examine the damage. The tunnels around them were completely obliterated. With the ceiling gone, the sun shone down on the disaster; however, smoke kept most of the damage concealed.

 

            Eugene straightened himself next to her. Despite his coughing, he managed a charming smile. “Looks like the hair’s at it again! Thanks Blondie!”

 

            She smiled half-heartedly. A panicked neigh was just audible over the chaos. Rapunzel swirled in the direction of the sound to see the outline of Maximus and Fidella charging into the destruction. Rudiger was frantically holding onto Maximus’ mane.

 

            Cassandra caught Fidella’s reins and pulled herself up into the saddle. “We have to get out of here before what’s left of the men come after us!”

 

            “No! We have to find Varian! I bet he caused that explosion! He has to be close by!” Distressed, Rapunzel searched the ruins in the direction that the blast had come from. “Come on, follow me!”

 

            The next few minutes were full of digging, heavy-lifting, and desperate calls of the alchemist’s name.

 

            “Varian! VARIAN!” Rapunzel felt her voice crack from the strain.

 

            “Rapunzel! I hear breathing! I think I found him!” Eugene called out.

 

            Rapunzel carefully picked her way across the sharp rocks to reach him. She kneeled down next to him and listened. Sure enough, she could hear the sound of labored breathing echo through the gaps in the rocks. Squinting, she looked into the darkness for any hints of where the boy was. She tilted her head and saw a glint of light. A closer look revealed them to be Varian’s goggles.

 

            “I see him! This wooden beam is blocking us from getting him!”

 

            Cassandra squatted underneath the splintered wood and with a fearsome cry she dislodged and lifted the bar up. “Hurry! I can’t hold this for long!” Her voice quivered.

 

            Eugene slid into the gap and after tossing a bunch of rocks off the boy, he dragged Varian out from the wreckage. With another pained groan, Cassandra shoved the beam off her back and fell to the ground, panting heavily.

 

            Eugene laid the boy beside Rapunzel. “This kid is lucky!” He took a deep breath to steady his voice. “That beam kept the majority of the rubble from falling on him. If it hadn’t been for that, he’d be gone!”

 

            Rapunzel looked at Varian. He was covered in blood. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to come from any large wounds, but instead from a bunch of small cuts that had been caused by the falling rocks and timber. What concerned her most was his pained breathing.

 

           “We need to get him out of here!”

 

           Eugene put his arm around Cassandra and helped her get to her feet. “That village east of here, Heilen, we can take him there.”

 

           After helping Cassandra and Rapunzel mount Fidella, Eugene lifted the unconscious Varian onto Max. He quickly pulled himself up behind him. Rudiger had curled up on the boy’s lap and stared anxiously at him.

 

          “Ok, Max! We need to go to Heilen.”

 

          Max snorted and with cautious steps, made his way out of the rubble; Fidella followed close behind. Once they emerged from the chaos, the horses turned towards the village in the distance. Not wanting to hurt their injured riders, they set off at a brisk walk, leaving the dust to settle on what remained of the Separatists of Saporia’s lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I finished this chapter! Heilen means ‘heal’ in German. I hope this translation is correct. I don’t speak German, but I do enjoy seeing the similarities between English and German words. I love evidence of English’s Germanic roots!
> 
> Also, does anyone know how old Rapunzel was at her wedding? I haven’t been able to find it anywhere and have been making my plans based on that lack of information. If anyone does know, please tell me so I can adjust accordingly. Thank you!
> 
> I’ve been waiting to get to this part of the story and I hope you can envision it as vividly as I do! I don’t have a particular length that I aim for, since I typically end the chapter where the natural conclusion is. This chapter, however, tempted me to make it a two parter, but I couldn’t stop!


	8. The Words of the Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian recuperates and makes some pretty strong accusations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was crazy! I’m glad you liked it. My story will be coming up on a hiatus (I think) once I finish part I. I want to get it done before Season 2 comes out, because then the story will diverge from mine, and I just can’t have the discontinuity. So, I plan on writing it quickly, but school is school and I may have to take a break just to focus on that (I don’t want to, but I need to).
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who leaves comments. I’m very thankful for your feedback and it’s nice to hear that you like where the story is heading. I try hard to keep the characters true to their personalities and give them each time to shine.

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 8: The Words of the Wounded

 

            Varian slowly awoke. His eyes flittered open and took in his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was debris crashing in on him, but now he was in what appeared to be a small cottage. Soft pillows propped him up so that he wasn’t completely supine and his left arm was suspended in a sling. Looking down the bed, Varian blanched at the sight of various hued patches all over his upper body and arms. Between the bandages, he could see that he was covered in bruises, many of which looked frighteningly dark. Each breath was uncomfortable and felt like a knife was stabbing through his lungs. Something warm and furry flew into view jumping onto the unsuspecting boy.

 

            “Owww!” He cried. A vicious pain shot through his torso. The pain didn’t go away, but Varian looked down to see what had caused so much damage. “Rudiger?”

 

            The raccoon chittered excitedly and jumped up and down, causing Varian considerable distress.

 

            “Okay! Okay! Will you quit with the jumping? Everything hurts!” He wheezed. Rudiger calmed down and snuggled under his arm, pleased to see that his master was finally awake. With his right hand, Varian stroked the raccoon lovingly. “How did you get here? I thought you were dead!”

 

            The door opened and an old portly woman bustled in.

 

            “Oh, good! You’re finally awake! We were worried about you!”

 

            Varian suddenly became aware of the fact that he was in his undergarments. His tunic and trousers were gone and his only covering was the blanket over him. Amongst the plethora of questions that he wanted to ask, Varian’s concerns for his clothes seemed to dominate them all.

 

 “Where are my clothes?”

 

            “Those rags? When you were brought here they were so torn up that we shredded them. Don’t worry, I still have some of my son’s old clothes when he was little. They should work just fine!” The woman pulled up a chair beside the bed and smiled warmly at him. “We were worried about you!”

 

            “Who’s ‘we’?” The thought of his clothes having been destroyed did little to endear this woman to Varian.

 

            She reared back dramatically. “How could I forget? You probably have so many questions! Let’s see if I can answer most of them. I’m Mrs. Koch and you’re here in Heilen. My husband owns a bakery here in town.” As she spoke, she undid some of the bandages to check the cuts underneath. “You seem to be healing quite well, Varian. When your friends brought you here two days ago, forgive me for saying, but you looked like a nightmare. Now, how do you feel?”

 

            Varian paid attention to the aches coming from his body. “Pretty horrible. Every time I inhale, there’s this sharp pain and my arm aches.”

 

            Mrs. Koch nodded sympathetically. “I’m going to prod a couple of places and the moment you feel that sharp pain, let me know. Okay?”

 

            Varian stared at the woman skeptically. “Wait! Are you qualified to—?” He yelped in pain. Mrs. Koch wasted no time in poking him in the rib.

 

            “As I suspected, you have a couple of broken ribs.” She moved up to the left collarbone and tapped it gently. Varian cried out again. “And a broken clavicle. I can see the bump right there. Well, I guess you can’t escape from a collapsing mine completely unscathed, now can you?”

 

            He glared at the woman. “What’s wrong with you? Why would you purposely cause me pain?”

 

            “Tut-tut, I had to be sure of what your injuries were—and because I heard from your friends that you brought this upon yourself!” She wagged her finger at him. “Hopefully, you’ve learned not to be so reckless and endanger your life! You’re lucky your friends were there to drag you out and bring you here!”

 

            Varian’s eyes narrowed. “And where exactly are my ‘friends’?”

 

            Mrs. Koch scooted her chair away from the bed and stood up. “Well, two of them are helping my husband in the bakery and the young woman, Cassandra, is resting. She overstrained herself, getting you out of that rubble.” She patted his hand affectionately. “Don’t worry, I let them come see you as soon as your fed. I’ll be right back!”

 

            At the mention of food, Varian became aware of how hungry he was. The thought of real food was a dream come true! With hungry eyes, he watched as Mrs. Koch left the room. Alone again, he tried to distract himself from the pain of breathing by shifted the arm in his sling. He winced as another stabbing pain erupted from his collarbone. Varian sighed, letting his head rest on the pillow behind him.

 

            “I really did it this time, Rudiger. This is worse than the time I almost drowned under the water wheel.” Rudiger peered up into his eyes, obviously concerned over the breathy quality of Varian’s voice. Varian found speaking difficult. If it hadn’t been for his incessant need to speak, he would have preferred to lay there in silence, but after being confined to a dark cell with no one to speak to, the sound of his voice was reassuring. He let out a pained chuckle, “I’ve been broken out of prison only to be thrown into another prison, and the moment I escape that one, I injure myself. Life sure is cruel that way, isn’t it Rudiger?”

 

            Rudiger carefully crawled out from the boy’s arm and climbed to his uninjured shoulder. He chittered sadly and stroked Varian’s cheek.

 

            Varian felt his eyes water. “But I guess it’s nothing compared to what Dad’s going through.”

 

            Mrs. Koch pushed the door open and entered carrying a small tray with her. Not wanting her to see him cry, Varian quickly brushed the tears away with his good hand. As the door swung shut, he briefly spotted anxious green eyes looking at him from the other side: Rapunzel.

 

            He held his breath at the sight of her. He had seen her in the Separatists’ lair and had even worked with her to take them down, but that had been to their mutual benefit. So much had been happening, that he hadn’t been able to fully come to terms with the fact that his sworn enemy and her friends were in the immediate vicinity.

 

            “Here you go!”

 

            Varian snapped out of his thoughts and was forced to confront the spoonful of porridge in front of him. Mrs. Koch was sitting beside him again. He opened his mouth and swallowed.

 

            Immediately he started hacking. “This hasn’t any flavor! It’s just mush!”

 

            The old woman laughed. “I’m afraid so dear, but it’s full of all the nutrients you need to get your body back to full health! It would be unwise, given your condition, to feed you anything else.”

 

            Despite his desire for real food, Varian acquiesced to her logic and continued to let her feed him. Better for food to have no flavor than to have a horrible one. “If you’re simply the wife of a baker, how do you know so much about nursing?”

 

            The woman scooped up another bite of food. “Well, when you raise a bunch of rowdy children, you become acquainted with tending to injuries.” She giggled at Varian’s skepticism. “And that’s all you need to know!”

 

            Mrs. Koch started to ramble on and on about her children. Disinterested in the turn of subject, Varian returned to his thoughts about the Coronan princess on the other side of the door. He remembered Alrick triggering his trap before he had been able to get a safe distance away. The tunnels had caved in on both of them. Mrs. Koch had mentioned that Cassandra had hurt herself pulling him out of the debris. But why bother? They could have just left him there to die, but instead they had to free him and bring him here.

 

            _They’re probably going to wait till I’m better, before they take me back to Corona._

            He glanced down at his pathetic frame. He wasn’t in any condition to fight them. No clothes, no chemicals, and no plans. He didn’t even have a body that could run. Everything kept reminding him of how helpless he truly was.

 

            _There’s nothing I can do._

 

            Mrs. Koch finished spooning the last of porridge into his mouth. “There! I feel so much better having you fed!” She gave Varian a soft smile and ran her hand through his thick hair.

 

            Varian was startled. His parents had been the only ones to ever stroke his head and then it had been a long time since he’d been able to feel any form of parental love. The old woman’s wrinkled face morphed into the younger version of his mother. For a brief moment, he felt like the little boy that had rushed to his mother’s bedside holding up a bowl with a mysterious, bubbling, purple liquid.

 

            “What’s this, Varian?”

 

            “Mommy, smell it!” He had shoved the bowl into her face.

 

            “Oh, you want Mommy to smell it?” Her blue eyes twinkled at his excitement. She lifted the bowl to her nose and took a deep breath. “Varian! This smells wonderful! How did you make it!”

 

            She swept him off the floor and plopped him down beside her. Johanna stroked his thick black hair as he rattled off the list of ingredients he had used to make the perfume. When he had finished, she placed the bowl on the table and encircled him in her arms.

 

            “Well, isn’t my little man a genius! What inspired you to make it?”

 

            “I want to mate somefin’ pwetty fo’ you, when you sit!”

 

            She rocked him back and forth. “You wanted to make something for me for when I’m sick! Thank you! I’ll cherish it, but not as much as I cherish you!” He laughed as she tickled him. When they had settled down, she’d continued. “Varian, you’re a wonderful son and I’m so proud of you!”

 

            “You pwoud of my pefume?”

 

            Johanna laughed. “Yes, but more than that, I’m proud of you for being so thoughtful and kind to think of me. Every time I smell your perfume, I’m going to think of that little man from down the hall, that loves his mommy oh so much!”

 

            Once again, Varian’s mind was brought back to the present by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Before Mrs. Koch was able to open the door, it creaked open enough for Varian to hear but not see the princess.

 

            “Mrs. Koch, do you think I could speak with him?”

 

            The old woman looked at Varian. He nodded in return. “Of course, Rapunzel! I’ve done everything I can right now. Just come and sit down.” Mrs. Koch opened the door wide, admitting Rapunzel and her boyfriend into the room. She scooped up the food tray and hustled out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

 

            They stared at each other awkwardly. The tension in the room grew until Eugene exhaled led the princess to the chair that Mrs. Koch had previously been occupying. Once she was seated, he pulled up another chair and set it at the base of the bed. He leaned over the back of the chair looked Varian over.

 

            “How you feeling, kid?”

 

            Varian shrugged, but instantly regretted it. Seeing him wince, Rapunzel leapt forward to see what was the matter, but he swatted her away with his good hand.

 

            “I’ve been…better.” His eye flitted between the two of them. “Where’s Cassandra?”

 

            Rapunzel voice was soft. “She’s resting. She strained her back when we were pulling you out from the rocks.”

 

            In his typical jovial manner, Eugene continued. “You should have seen it! You were trapped under this heavy beam and Cassandra braced herself under it to push it up enough so I could go in and grab you.”

 

            The thought of Cassandra injuring herself to save him, made Varian uncomfortable, especially since their last encounter included him trying to crush her in his rage. Wanting to distract himself, he asked. “What of the automatons? Did you destroy them all?”

 

            Again, Eugene answered. “Yep, they’re all destroyed. That was one powerful little concoction you developed there, kid. Did the separatists ask you to make it?”

 

            Though Eugene had tried to sound casual with his question, Varian was able to sense the underlying restlessness that came from the question.

 

            _They want to know if I served the separatists willingly._

 

            “That potion was not commissioned by them. It was part of my plan to escape, but they threw me into the dungeon before I was able to execute it.”

 

            “What were you planning to do?” Rapunzel breathed.

 

            “Basically, what I did, only I wasn’t expecting you all to be there.” Varian stroked the sleeping Rudiger. “They took Rudiger from me and told me that if I completed the automatons they would return him. With Rudiger back, I would have put my plan into motion, but they’d lied.” His eyes narrowed. “That reminds me, how did you find us?”

 

            “We found Rudiger at Old Corona and he led us to you.” Rapunzel shifted nervously in her chair. “So, the Separatists wanted you to build them an army of automatons. Why did you destroy them?”

 

            “It wasn’t a favor to good King Fred! Seeing how the Separatists treated me, I knew they wouldn’t care about my dad. And after everything else that happened, I just wanted to hurt him.”

 

            Eugene glanced sideways at Rapunzel. “Speaking of your dad, Xavier, the blacksmith, is at Old Corona trying to find a way to free him.”

 

            To their surprise, Varian pushed himself upright and snarled. “THAT’S NOT HIS JOB! IT’S MINE!” The pain from exerting himself left him struggling to breathe. Trying hard to keep his upper body still, Varian mumbled. “He’s a fool that involves himself where he has no right!”

 

            Recovered from her shock at his outburst, Rapunzel spoke. “You know he cares about you.”

 

            Varian closed his eyes refusing to offer any form of response. The princess muttered something to her boyfriend, but he wasn’t able to make out the words. He heard Eugene stand up and leave the room, leaving him alone with the princess.

 

            “I know what happened, Varian.”

 

            His eyes snapped open.

 

            _What is she talking about?_

            “I know about what happed to your father and—” Her voice wavered. “And your mother.”

 

            He froze, horrified. He hadn’t spoken or even thought of his mother in years, but the very day he found himself reminiscing of her, Princess Rapunzel mentions her.

 

            “I’m sorry.”

 

            Varian uttered a hollow chuckle. “Well, I guess you know all about me, don’t you?” His icy blue eyes pierced hers. “Let’s talk about you, then! A princess whose promises are just as precious as her friends! But let’s be honest, I was never your friend, now was I?”

 

            Rapunzel’s brow furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but Varian interrupted.

 

            “I was simply a tool for you to humor until I overstayed my welcome. Then I was to be thrown out with the trash!”

 

            Again, Rapunzel tried to speak, but Varian began picking up steam.

 

            “You came to me for answers about your hair. You were the paragon of kindness!” He raised his voice in mocking imitation. “Oh, help me Varian, you’re such a wizard! Can you help me with my hair?” His face darkened. “But when you failed to get the desired results, you left. Later, at the Science Expo, I slaved away to help your lady-in-waiting achieve her lifelong ambition, and at the last moment, I’m thrown aside when her promise to me proved inconvenient!”

 

            “Varian, I—”

 

            “Even your boyfriend, Eugene, let me down! I lauded him hero, and he treated me like a menace! But I was a resilient kid. I was used to disappointment.” His angry tone melted, replaced by cold despondence. “However, that all changed that day.”

 

            “Varian, I wanted to help you! I really did, but I had a kingdom-wide disaster to deal with! I couldn’t come with you to Old Corona! I cou—”

 

            “Forget about the fact that you watched as your guards dragged a terrified boy out of the palace and threw him into the blizzard! But where were you after? The storm cleared and still no one came to check on me! I tried to return and ask for help, but I was refused entry, because I had “attacked the princess”! I had to sneak onto the docks in order to speak with you about the flower.” With his good arm, Varian pointed at her. “I asked for you to finally help me save my dad, but the only reason you agreed to help me wasn’t because a friend needed you, but because you were concerned for your kingdom!”

 

            Varian fell back on his pillow, his chest constricted. All the talk was making it difficult to breathe. Rapunzel was silent, apparently deciding to let him finish his tirade before speaking.

 

            His ribs still hurting from talking, Varian muttered softly. “Funny how I really thought I was your friend. I tried to get rid of the rocks for you and Corona, but the moment it backfired, I was left to rot alone in Old Corona. Only when I proved a legitimate threat, was anyone willing to do something.”

 

            He sighed and closed his eyes. A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed down on him. Ever since he had been awake, so much had happened and he wasn’t fully recuperated. He heard the princess scoot her chair back and stand up.

 

            “Tell me princess. The reason you came to rescue me, was it out of concern for my wellbeing or the danger I posed being in your enemies’ hands?” His opened one of his eyes to follow Rapunzel.

 

            The princess had her hand on the door knob, her face wet with tears. She bowed her head and answered. “Being stuck in a tower for 18 years means there are certain situations that I’ve never had to face. I make mistakes and I have much to learn. Varian, I admit that I wasn’t the best friend to you. You needed me and I wasn’t there for you and I truly am sorry for that.” She lifted her eyes to meet his. “I was sick to my stomach wondering what had happened to you when you were taken. If you want to hate me for my mistakes, that’s fine. I’m—I’m just glad I found you alive.”

 

            She opened the door and left without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flashback to Varian and his mother was not in the originally chapter outline, but just came about naturally. It’s one of my favorite parts now, so I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
> 
> It’s hard to write childish speech when you don’t have the International Phonetic Alphabet, but I did my best to imitate young Varian’s speech and make the words resemble what they are supposed to mean. Varian would have been around 5 years old, but I can imagine him struggling with some of his velar consonants (/k/ and /g/) as well as /th/. This is where my studies of communication disorders influence my writing. Yes, I’m a nerd!
> 
> Fun fact: While I’ve never broken a rib, I had to do some research on it, but I know full well the pain that comes from a broken clavicle. Sleeping is a joyless and I was quite loopy from the pain medication, so I can only pity Varian for not having the same medicine that I had available to me. First and only bone I’ve ever broken. It’s been over two years and it still hasn’t fully healed. No more Zumba for me! This was very cathartic to write.


	9. A Mutual Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel reflects on a pact that she made and Varian heads out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for following and reviewing my story. I cannot begin to express how much it means to me to see that you are enjoying my tale. I try to update regularly, because I hate having to wait and so I don’t like keeping everyone waiting for the next installment.
> 
> This chapter had to go through numerous revisions! It has probably been the hardest chapter to write, because it’s a transitional chapter. I also, had to cut some information from this chapter use at a later date. I’m ending one story arc and continuing on to the next. Not to mention, I almost lost half of it when Word decided to go haywire on me!

**Tangled: The Series**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 9: A Mutual Agreement

 

            “He did all that and you didn’t bring him here?”

 

            “Yes, Dad! He wasn’t in any condition to travel. Besides, he didn’t align himself with the separatists! He destroyed their base!”

 

            Frederic rose from his chair and approached Rapunzel. Gently, he brushed back her hair from her forehead. “Yes, but in the process, he nearly killed everyone, including you! We’ve seen before that no matter how noble the boy’s intentions may be, he will go to extreme lengths to accomplish his goals and doesn’t care how his actions will affect others.”

 

            “He’s reckless for sure, but he needs help, Dad! We abandoned him! He’s done horrible things, but we have to take steps to show him that we aren’t what he thought we were!”

 

            Varian’s accusations in Heilen had struck her to her core. It had been a month since they’d rescued the young alchemist from the Separatists of Saporia, but his bitter words remained with her.

 

_“Tell me princess. The reason you came to rescue me, was it out of concern for my wellbeing or the danger I posed being in your enemies’ hands?”_

            That had been what shocked her the most. The realization that Varian didn’t believe that she genuinely cared for him was painful. More than anything, that explained his behavior towards her after the storm. To him, she was two-faced, feigning concern, where there was really indifference and suspicion.

 

            King Frederic sighed. “My dear, what makes you think he won’t try to attack our kingdom again?”

 

            Shifting on her bare feet, Rapunzel looked down at her hand. “We—We came to a mutual agreement.”

 

            “Rapunzel, you know how hard I’ve been trying to show my trust in you. I know how seriously you keep your promises, but—”

 

            “It wasn’t a promise!” Rapunzel interrupted. “We realized that it was to our shared benefit to leave one another alone.”

 

            The king stared deeply into his daughter’s eyes. Not long ago, he had only seen his precious baby girl that needed to be protected at all cost, but now, he could see the young woman that was shaping herself into a queen. With a soft smile, he turned away from her to look out the window at the city below.

 

            “Very well. If you insist that the boy won’t be a continued threat to Corona, I will respect your request that I leave the boy alone.”

 

            “Thank you, Dad!” Rapunzel took a deep breath and continued. “Though there is one more point I need to speak with you about.”

 

            Frederic turned to face the princess. His brow raised in curiosity.

 

            “It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned it, but on the way back from Heilen, Cassandra spotted a cluster of the black rocks near the village. We’ve been thinking about it and—and we’ve decided that we need to resume our quest to find where the rocks lead.”

 

            Frederic walked to the window, beckoning for Rapunzel to join him. Together they both gazed out at the kingdom below. Rapunzel could make out tiny pin pricks of movement as the townsfolk went about their lives.

 

            “For the most part the rocks have left Corona. The outlying villages have been able to start over again and rebuild their homes.” He exhaled softly. “But if I’d addressed the rocks sooner, none of this disaster would have happened.” He put his arm around his daughter. “As much as I love having you here with me, I know you have to leave us. You will always be ours, but the moment I gave your mother the elixir from the flower, I unwittingly pledged a piece of you to whatever magic saved you. I have to live with that sacrifice.”

 

            Rapunzel circled her arms around her father in a tight embrace and whispered, “I’ll take care of myself, Dad. No matter what happens, know that I’ll always make my way home to you.”

 

A FEW DAYS LATER

 

            Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra approached the village of Heilen. After the rescue, they hadn’t been able to stay in the town for long. The villagers in Heilen were kind and hospitable, but soon after their arrival, Rapunzel and her companions were forced to hide themselves as survivors from the mine collapse began staggering into town.

 

            While Cassandra was resting, they had been doing their best to help Mr. Koch in the bakery, but seeing as they couldn’t risk anyone recognizing them, their assistance was limited. Not many days after Varian had woken, Cassandra had determined that the quicker they returned to Corona the better; Eugene and Rapunzel agreed. Leaving the Kochs with a small bag of gold to thank them for their trouble, the friends fled into the night. Now they were returning to Heilen with dual purpose: to check on Varian and to follow the black rocks.

 

           “You know something interesting?”

 

           “Your voice gets more annoying the longer you speak!” Cassandra replied.

 

           “HA! HA! HA! Hilarious, Cassandra! Maybe you should retire as Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting and become a regular comedian for the sisters at the conve—OW!”

 

           Cassandra punched Eugene in the arm. Aggressively pointing her finger at him, she growled. “Keep talking like that and I’ll make sure they send you to a monastery!” She smiled wickedly. “I’ve heard they give wonderful haircuts!”

 

          “Cut it out guys! I don’t want to have to listen to the two of you bicker all day!” Rapunzel groaned. “What’s interesting, Eugene?”

 

          With an evil eye on Cassandra and one hand over his head, Eugene pointed to one of the black rocks that they had discovered near the ruins of the mine. “I’ve noticed something about these rocks.”

 

         “What!” Rapunzel and Cassandra cried in unison.

 

          Eugene looked down at Rapunzel. “Remember when we first left Corona, how the rocks were taking us east. I’d almost forgotten about it, but we didn’t pass through Heilen. We went through a village a little north of this one.”

 

          Cassandra crossed her arms. “But they stopped. That’s why we went to Batavia. The rocks weren’t leading us anymore.”

 

          Rapunzel stared at the rocks ahead. “Maybe they didn’t stop! Maybe we missed where the rocks were leading us!”

 

         Cassandra scowled in the direction of the spikes. “You know, I wish they would just tell us what they wanted us to do! I hate running around on some wild goose chase!”

 

         “I chased some wild geese in my youth. It’s not so bad. I mean sure, if the goose bites you, it’s horrible, but if you’re skilled enough, you get to enjoy a delicious meal!”

 

         “What are you rambling about, Fitzherbert?”

 

         “Oh, nada importante! I’m just suddenly craving goose!” Sure enough, a loud gurgling sound echoed from Eugene stomach.

 

          Rapunzel chuckled. “It’s getting late. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Koch will have something delicious for supper!”

 

         “I hope it’s goose!”

 

          The three of them galloped the remaining distance towards the dim lights of Heilen.

 

          Approaching the town, Max and Fidella slowed their speed and kept to the shadows. Despite a month having passed since the cave in, the likelihood of separatists still being in the vicinity was great. The horses expertly navigated their way through the randomly strewn houses until they ended up behind a simple brick cottage.

 

         The comforting aroma of baked bread flooded their noses. Soft candlelight peeked through the curtains and muffled voices could be heard from within. Rapunzel quickly jumped from Max’s back and cautiously knocked on the back door while the others dismounted. Immediately the voices hushed. Footsteps could be heard nearing the door.

 

        “Who’s there?” The familiar voice of Mr. Koch growled from behind the wooden door.

 

         “It’s me, Rapunzel!” Rapunzel whispered through the cracks.

 

         The door swung open, revealing the massive figure of Mr. Koch. Before they were able greet him, he seized the three of them and roughly pulled them into the house. Mrs. Koch came hurrying from around the corner. To their surprise her normally jovial face was haggard and pale.

 

         Rapunzel put her hands on the woman’s shoulders. “What’s the matter, Mrs. Koch?”

 

         Tears welling up her eyes, Mrs. Koch fought to control her breathing. When she had finally calmed down enough to speak, she looked up into the princess’ eyes and whispered. “He’s gone, Rapunzel! He’s gone!”

 

ELSEWHERE IN EQUIS

 

        Varian leaned against a hardwood tree and took a slow breath. Even though his broken ribs were healing well, the sheer amount of walking he had been doing the past few days was definitely taking a toll on his body. The piercing agony that had plagued him the first couple of weeks after he woke up in Heilen had deadened, but he was still left with painful aches.

 

        Rudiger came running from behind the tree. At Varian’s feet he left a meager pile of berries before scampering off to find more.

 

        “Thanks, buddy!” Varian’s voice sounded foreign among the stillness of the forest.

 

        Using his staff, he gradually lowered himself, careful not make any jerky movement, and knelt in front of the food Rudiger had foraged. He warily eyed the fruit, ensuring that they were in fact edible, before popping one into his mouth. Despite their miniscule size, the berry was incredibly succulent; the sweet juice was refreshing. The rations he had stolen from the baker and his wife had long been depleted, forcing the two companions to look for anything fit for consumption.

 

        As he stuffed the berries into his mouth, Rudiger came scurrying back, another handful in tow. Seeing his master eating, the raccoon sat beside him and munched on his findings. Unfortunately, the fruit was soon gone and their appetites hardly satiated.

 

       “Yeah! I know! I should have taken more food, but we’d still have some if your chubby little self hadn’t devoured it all!” Varian scolded Rudiger. He was appreciative of his diminutive companion, but with his stomach growling, he found it difficult to think of anything but his hunger.

 

        Gently, Varian set himself against the tree. Rudiger crawled into his lap; his grumpy chitters soon calmed to lazy purring as Varian stroked his coat. Exhausted himself, Varian considered falling asleep, but he knew better than to drift off when at any moment bandits could jump them. Despite never having to live in the wild himself, his father had been a well-travelled man and warned him of all the dangers that the outside world held. The young alchemist found himself yearning to be back at the baker’s cottage, where he didn’t have to worry about not having enough to eat or where he would sleep.

 

        Varian had been loath to leave Heilen. The incredible generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Koch made him feel guilty for leaving them as suddenly as he had. While in their care, he’d been fed, clothed, and nursed back to health. He didn’t know to what extent they were familiar with what he had done, but he was sure they had been at least partially informed of his treasonous actions. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to believe either. Varian never expressed any gratitude for the sacrifices the family made in order to treat him; but it never mattered, Mrs. Koch tended to him as she would her own son. As he gained weight, she’d prepared him tastier meals and she dressed him in the best clothes in her possession: a dark blue tunic and faded grey trousers. To Varian’s delight, the shirt buttoned in the front, making it easier for him to dress himself without lifting his left arm.

 

       But if there was anything Varian had learned, it was that good things never seem to last, especially with him. The longer he stayed in Heilen, the more he was at risk of discovery. The village was crawling with separatists. Twice, Mrs. Koch had to hide Varian and Rudiger from their prying eyes. Though the woman had been careful and tenderly settled Varian inside of the cellar below, the cold stagnant air and darkness had been eerily similar to his cell in the Separatists’ lair. The thought of what they would do to him if they found him, made him shiver with dread, each time he heard their boots on the floorboards above. Whenever the trapdoor opened, revealing the kindly wrinkled face of Mrs. Koch, Varian felt him give a deep sigh of relief.

 

       The earth beneath Varian began to quake, startling him. A sharp black rock pierced through the dirt directly in front of Varian. Ignoring the aches from his injuries, Varian leapt to his feet and neared the rock.

 

       “I was beginning to think I’d lost you!” He circled the lone spike, before looking back at the path he had been following. Varian could spot other black rocks littering the path. In the opposite direction, more rocks had erupted forming a crooked line through the forest. “Where are you headed?”

 

       He could feel his excitement bubbling within his skinny frame. Varian knelt down to pick up his staff. Rudiger nervously sniffed the rock and glanced back at his master.

 

       “I know they’re trouble, but wherever these rocks are leading, will provide the answer to how to liberate Dad! I have to follow them!”

 

       With a weary sigh, the raccoon trudged after Varian in the direction the rocks were growing.

 

       “I know you’re tired and hungry. Believe me, I am too! I didn’t get to enjoy a little nap like you did. But who knows, maybe, these rocks will lead us to a village where we can scrounge up something substantial to eat.” Using his staff, Varian brushed a branch out of his way. “Anyway, I can’t get revenge on Corona, so I might as well focus on this!”

 

        Following the rocks proved repetitive and dull. With little to do, except for walk, Varian’s mind wandered back to his last encounter with Corona’s princess.

 

_That night, Rapunzel and her companions were heading back to the castle. Varian felt sick to his stomach. Nothing had been said concerning what would happen to him, but he could just see them hauling him back to Corona. He had little choice in accepting Mrs. Koch’s nursing, but she was a stranger with whom he had no previous experience. If he were to be returned to Corona, he would once again be humiliated, being subject to the mercy of King Frederic and his people._

_“Why am I such a fool, Rudiger! I should have just told her that I’m sorry, it was all my fault, and I realize that I was in the wrong! Then maybe, she would have let me be!”_

_His raccoon was seated on the floor, rocking the chair with his front paws. He chittered sympathetically and continued moving the rocker back and forth._

_Varian let out a pained chuckle. “I guess I wouldn’t be able to say those things in a convincing manner. Just mentioning it made my mouth taste of bile.” He closed his eyes and let the oscillating motion of the chair calm him. “It seems I’m forever destined to be someone’s prisoner.”_

_“It doesn’t have to be that way.”_

_Startled, Varian careened out of the rocker. The sharp pain from his ribcage and collarbone shot through his body causing him to tumble to the floor._

_“Ow! What made you think it was a good idea to startle me?” Varian hissed at the sight of the princess._

_Rapunzel swooped down and offered her hand to help him up. Instead, the alchemist slapped her away and tried to right himself alone. It was difficult work. His eyes scrunched up as he pushed himself to his knees using his good arm. Rapunzel waited uneasily, watching him struggle to his feet, but she couldn’t help but be impressed when he finally rose glowering at her, his face red from the effort._

_“You’re making remarkable progress!” The princess tried her best to ease the tension._

_“I don’t have time to waste moping around, when I have people who need me.”_

_“I see, so that time is better spent in a cell?” Rapunzel retaliated meeting his glare with equal intensity._

_“What do you mean?” Varian didn’t change his expression, but her words had intrigued him. “Aren’t you here to tell me that you’re arresting me and taking me back to Corona?”_

_The princess shrugged. “I don’t know, that depends on you!” She motioned to the chair. “Please, take a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”_

_“I’d rather do it on my two feet.” He growled._

_Very well! Varian, I’ve thought a lot about what you said to me the other day and I stand by what I said. As much as I try to be the perfect person, I’m not. I’ve made mistakes and haven’t dealt with things in the best possible way.”_

_“I’m well awa—.”_

_“I’m not finished!” Rapunzel snapped. “That being said, neither have you! Your actions did nothing to save your father and instead alienated the very people that could have helped you! You claim it was in the name of justice, but that was your attempt to place your guilt on others!”_

_Varian could feel his heart hammering against his chest. He marveled at her audacity. “My guilt!”_

_“Yes, Varian! You are responsible for what happened to your father! While it’s true my dad and I could have handled the situation differently, none of that changes the fact, that you were the one to cause the reaction that imprisoned your father! I believe that makes you primarily responsible!”_

_For a moment Varian thought his heart had ripped itself out of him. The ache in his shoulder paled in comparison to the hole that had been torn through his chest. A sudden urge to hurl overwhelmed him, but he managed to fight it back. He must have looked dreadful, because the fire in Rapunzel’s eyes was immediately replaced with concern. He could see her arms itching to wrap themselves around him, but she swallowed the desire, opting to guide him back to the rocking chair, where she helped lower him into the seat. A worried Rudiger climbed up the chair and nestled himself in Varian’s lap._

_Rapunzel drew herself another chair and sat across from him. She no longer looked angry, but rather tired. “Varian, I know you want to save your father. I want to save Corona and that means her people too. We both have the responsibility to help solve the mystery of the rocks; you to save your dad, and me to save the kingdom.” She pulled her golden hair over her shoulder and stroked it. “I don’t know what these rocks are, but I know they are connected to me. If I want to solve this mystery, I’m going to need all the help I can get.”_

_Varian was still breathing heavily, but he managed to look up at the princess._

_“And I want your help.”_

_The sudden desire to laugh caught him. “You want me to prance across the land with you and your friends, solving the mystery of these rocks!” His blue eyes glinted incredulously. “As interested as I am, I don’t think I want to surround myself with people whom I consider enemies.”_

_Rapunzel threw her arms in the air in exasperation. “Well, then what would you have me do? I don’t want to send you back to Corona’s prison and I can’t just have you walk away unsupervised.”_

_“Why not? You can just let me go and I’ll figure out the mystery on my own!”_

_“Because, how do I know you won’t try to destroy Corona or ally yourself with someone that will?”_

_“I stopped the separatists, didn’t I.”_

_“You yourself told me that wasn’t an act of good will.”_

_Varian eyed the princess. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t care about your kingdom, but I’ve learned that I have a better chance of saving my dad, if Old Corona stays safe from invaders.”_

_Rapunzel leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms suspiciously. “Are you telling me that you will promise not to attack Corona?”_

_He scoffed. “I’m not willing to make any promises with you, Princess. We don’t have a good history with those.” Scratching Rudiger behind the ears, he continued. “But it happens to be to my advantage to leave Corona alone.”_

_“It sounds like your saying that as long as we keep your father safe from further harm, you have no reason to attack us.”_

_“That’s exactly what I’m saying, your Highness!”_

_“I can accept that—on one condition! Whatever knowledge you find regarding the rocks, you won’t keep it from me.”_

_Varian mulled it over. He wasn’t really interested in helping the princess, but if it meant freedom, it was a price he could pay. “Alright, I can live that!” Rapunzel tentatively offered her hand to him. Briefly hesitating, Varian rolled his eyes, but took her hand firmly in his. As they shook, he flashed a smug smile. “No promises, just a mutual agreement.”_

       Varian was stirred from memory lane by the smell of baked goods. Rudiger had already begun following his nose, wandering dreamily towards the direction of the aroma. Quelling the urge to rush forward and shove whatever food he could find down his throat, Varian made note of the location and general path that the rocks were heading, before following his raccoon.

 

      He forced his way through the brush to find himself at the edge of the trees. The sight of houses was glorious to him. Stomachs growling with hunger, Varian and Rudiger hurried towards the village, doing their best to look as inconspicuous as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Part I: The Road to Redemption.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the beginning of my tale. I hope to begin the second part soon, but I need to do some planning to make sure that I have all the pieces in the right place. As a result, I probably won’t have the next chapter up next week. Sorry! I hope you have a wonderful week!
> 
> In case you're wondering, the things that Rapunzel said to Varian were very harsh. She didn't necessarily handle it the best. Earlier she mentioned that she has a lot of things to learn; one of those things is how to deal with people like Varian. Our wonderful princess is not perfect.


	10. Course of Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of Part I: The Road to Redemption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wouldn’t update this week, but due to unforeseen events, I won’t be able to write next week. So…I decided to write this week. It turned out for the best, because while I was planning this chapter, I realized that it fit better at the end of Part I, instead of Part II. 
> 
> Also, I’d like to express my appreciation to everyone who reads my story. I love your comments!

**Tangled: The Series:**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part I: The Road to Redemption

 

Chapter 10: Course of Action

 

            _As they hurried towards Heilen, Cassandra groaned in discomfort. Rapunzel glanced at her friend nervously._

_“Are you okay, Cass?”_

_Her lady-in-waiting winced. “I’ll be fine. I just think I strained my back a bit.” Cassandra gestured vaguely at Varian. “He’s lucky that beam didn’t land on him! He would have been dead!”_

_Rapunzel looked sideways as Varian. Eugene’s arms were keeping him centered on Max’s back, but his head lolled forward dangerously. Only Rudiger was keeping him from falling onto Max’s neck. She couldn’t hear his breathing over the sound of the horses’ hooves, but it wasn’t easy to forget his shallow breathing. He may not be dead, but if he didn’t get medical attention soon, Rapunzel feared that they would be burying him instead._

_The setting sun cast a somber shadow over the buildings as they approached the village. Despite the late hour, people were emerging from their homes to look for the source of the commotion. The moment Max and Fidella drew near, the villager swarmed around them._

_“What happened?”_

_“Where did that noise come from?”_

_“Who are you?”_

_“Look at the boy! What did you do to him?”_

_Eugene struggled to make himself heard over the confusion. “The mine—Quiet! The mine col—Okay! Settle down now! I can’t tell you what happened if you won’t listen!” The crowd hushed and stared at Eugene expectantly. “That’s better! Okay! The mine collapsed!”_

_A screamed pierced the air. Suddenly, the townsfolk’s curiosity turned to fear and dread as they fled to their houses._

_“Wait!” Rapunzel cried out. “Does anyone know a healer?” But it was useless; the once crowded street had emptied._

_Rapunzel slipped off Fidella’s back and watched as Cassandra followed suit. She turned and helped Eugene lower Varian from the saddle before dismounting himself._

_“Max! Fidella! I need the two of you to find yourself somewhere safe to hide. We’ll come find you once we find a place to stay.”_

_Warily, the two horses snorted and snuck off. Rapunzel hated seeing them leave, but they didn’t want to draw any more attention than they already had. Once they were out of sight, Rapunzel focused on their current situation. With Cassandra leaning on her for support and Varian being carried by Eugene, the four of them wandered through the barren streets looking for someone that would take them in._

_They’d been wandering for hours before their exhaustion saw them collapse on the street side. The chilly air pierced them to their bones. None of the doors had opened; the people were too afraid to answer. Rapunzel found herself staring at the unconscious boy in her boyfriend’s arms. Under the white light coming from the moon, Varian’s pale clammy skin made him resemble a ghost. His labored breathing sounded eerily similar to when Eugene had been fading away in her arms after being stabbed by Gothel. Subconsciously, Rapunzel mouthed the words to the healing incantation._

_“Flower gleam and glow._

_“Let your power shine._

_“Make the clock reverse._

_“Bring back what once was mine.”_

_Barely audible, Rapunzel’s voice began singing the magical melody. Eugene and Cassandra glanced up at the princess in surprise._

_“Heal was has been hurt._

_“Change the Fates’ design._

_“Save what has been lost._

_“Bring back what once was mine.”_

_Nothing happened; her magical hair didn’t glow. Heartbroken, tears welled up in Rapunzel’s eyes and she wept. Cassandra wrapped a comforting arm around her._

_“Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll find something.”_

_“I couldn’t save his father and now I can’t save him! What kind of princess am I?”_

_Eugene spoke, his voice gentle and reassuring. “Rapunzel, you’re the sweetest most caring princess the world has ever seen! Believe me! I’ve seen how some royals turn out and you are leagues ahead of them! Most of them wouldn’t give an iota of concern for their people! You give everything you have to them!”_

_Eugene’s words touched Rapunzel and she wiped away her tears. She did care for her people and in that moment, Varian needed her to pull through. With determination, she stood up and faced her comrades._

_“You’re right! He needs me! You need me!” She said staring at Varian and Cassandra. “I can’t sit here hoping something good will come! I have to go find it!” She unclasped her cloak and laid it carefully over Varian. “Stay here and take care of each other. Pascal and I are going to find help!” She looked down at the chameleon on her shoulder; he was fast asleep. “On the other hand, maybe I’ll just go.” She scooped Pascal gently off of her shoulder and handed him to Cassandra._

_Cassandra and Eugene watched as Corona’s princess marched off into the night. Cassandra leaned against the building behind her._

_“You’re right, Fitzherbert. She’s going to make one magnificent queen.”_

_Eugene arranged the cloak around Varian. Rudiger crawled down from Eugene shoulders and curled around Varian’s head to provide extra warmth. “Of course, she will! If she’s willing to go to such extreme lengths to save someone who hates her, I can only imagine how far she’ll go to serve the people who love her.” He smiled softly and muttered. “Actually, I already know what she was willing to do to save me.”_

_Rapunzel wandered through the streets knocking on every door she could. Almost everyone had gone to sleep, but Rapunzel refused to give up. Varian needed medical attention and while Cassandra was doing her best not to complain, she knew her lady-in-waiting needed to be looked at as well._

_Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel spotted a cottage a little way off. The windows were yellow with candlelight and she could faintly smell the pleasant aroma of fresh-baked bread. Excited, Rapunzel sprinted to the house and banged on the door. She heard shuffling feet approach. There was a sliding sound and Rapunzel found herself staring at a set of dark eyes from the other side of a peephole._

_“Who are you? And what are you doing up this early in the morning?” His voice was gruff but not rude._

_“Please, sir! My name is Rapunzel and I have two friends that are badly hurt! I’ve been looking for hours, but no one has helped us!”_

_Another more feminine voice emanated from behind the door. “Someone’s in need of help? We have to help them, Carl!” The locks on the door were hastily undone and the door swung open to reveal an elderly couple. Both were covered in flour, but they looked kindly enough. The woman’s eyes swept back and forth. “Where are they?”_

_“I left them with another one of my friends They sat down to rest! If you could wait, I’ll go and get them!”_

_The woman started rolling up her sleeves. “First tell me what to expect so I can prepare.”_

_“I think one threw out her back and the other is unconscious. He’s bleeding and his breathing doesn’t sound good.”_

_She nodded grimly. “Alright then! You go bring your friends. We’ll clean up around here.”_

_The princess grasped the woman’s hand hers and tearfully thanked her before darting off in search of her companions._

_Ten minutes later they were stumbling through the Koch’s home. Rapunzel looked around at the cottage. It was a quaint little home. The front rooms were dedicated solely to their bakery, but behind there was a living space with several doors leading into rooms._

_Eugene followed Mrs. Koch into one of the rooms and carefully set Varian on the bed. Mr. Koch brought his wife a cloth and a bowl of heated water, which she placed beside the bed on the nightstand. Rapunzel watched as the woman dabbed the cloth in the water and carefully cleansed the boy’s wounds. Varian looked pale as ever, but at least he had someone who could tend to him._

_“You weren’t lying about them being badly hurt. What happened to you four?”_

_Rapunzel and Eugene stood in awkward silence, unsure whether they should answer her._

_Mrs. Koch’s eyes narrowed. “You were at the mine, weren’t you? That’s why people weren’t wanting to help you. No one wants anything to do with those swine. You’re very fortunate that you got here in time. Once the morning breaks, this town will be crawling with them.”_

_“Is he going to be okay?” Rapunzel whispered._

_The old woman shrugged. “He’s malnourished, seems to have lost a lot of blood, and based on his breathing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a couple of broken ribs.” She spotted Rapunzel’s terrified face. “But don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I may be a baker’s wife, but I’ve had plenty of experience healing injuries.”_

_Eugene strode over to the princess. “Rapunzel, I’ll watch over him. You should check on Cassandra.” He lovingly brushed her hair to side. “He’s in good hands. You saved him, sweetheart.” He gave her a small peck on the forehead and waited till she had left, before resuming his post beside Mrs. Koch._

_Rapunzel crossed the living room and walked into the room set aside for them. Mr. Koch, the baker, had put together a cot for Cassandra to lie on. Her lady-in-waiting was stretched out upon it, staring up at the ceiling._

_“Hey Cass! How are you doing?”_

_Cassandra smiled wearily. “Well, I’ve been better, but I think a couple days of rest should get me back to normal.”_

_Rapunzel knelt on one of the cushions that had been provided for them. “What you did back there was really brave. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have saved Varian.”_

_“Nonsense! Eugene would have done what I did.” She sighed, rolling her eyes in mock irritation. “I should have let him hold the beam up so that he would be the one in this cot, not me!”_

_Giggling, Rapunzel picked up one of the pillows from the floor. “I don’t think he would let himself sleep in a cot, if us ladies were to sleep on the floor!” The two friends laughed. When the laughter had died down, Rapunzel looked down and in a serious tone, continued. “I know seeing Varian must be difficult for you, but I want you to know that I appreciate you sticking by my side.”_

_Cassandra shifted on the cot. “It’s hard, but I understand what you feel. Eugene and I want him to be okay just as much as you do.” She yawned deeply and closed her eyes. “I guess if my back is to get better, I better rest.”_

_“Goodnight, Cass.”_

_“Good morning, Raps.” Chuckling softly, Rapunzel closed the door behind her, letting Cassandra sleep._

           

            Rapunzel stirred. They were sitting around the kitchen table, waiting for a tearful Mrs. Koch to tell them what had happened. Realizing that his wife wasn’t going to be able to speak, Mr. Koch broke the silence.     

 

            “Three days ago, we woke to find the boy had slipped out in the middle of the night. He took his raccoon and a bag full of day old pastries and other little bits of food.” He glanced at his wife. “We tried to search for him, but without luck.”

 

            “He’s going to get himself killed!” Everyone stared at Mrs. Koch. Although she was still weeping, Mrs. Koch had regained her voice. “He was only here for a month! His injuries are far from being fully healed and he hasn’t regained all his strength. The boy’s as thin as a twig! I should’ve kept a closer eye on him!”

 

            Rapunzel rubbed the woman’s back. “Mrs. Koch, it isn’t your fault. Varian has a tendency to do what he wants. If he was ready to leave, you wouldn’t have been able to keep him from leaving.”

 

            Wiping her eyes, Mrs. Koch stared forlornly at the family portrait on the wall. Whispering faintly, she said. “He’s like the grandson I never had.”

 

            Mr. Koch pulled out a note and handed it to Rapunzel. “This was all that he left behind. We couldn’t make sense of it, but maybe you can.”

 

            Rapunzel opened the note and recognized Varian’s steady script. The note itself was short and lacking any formality.

 

            _I’m following the rocks. Leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone._

            “The kid has a way with words. You can really tell how he feels.” Eugene sighed.

 

            Rapunzel read the curt letter over and over again. It seemed Varian had added another condition to their agreement: she was to leave him alone or else. She couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed. Varian went out of his way to be disrespectful and cruel. He knew that she had a lot more responsibility than he did. Keeping Corona safe felt a lot more difficult than simply not attacking them. Now he felt at liberty to add whatever clause he felt appropriate, regardless of her feelings on the matter. Massaging her temple, Rapunzel leaned back in her chair.

 

            Still, it wasn’t that big a deal. He had told them where he went, even if the Koch’s hadn’t understood. Rapunzel and Varian were still on the same path. He just didn’t want them interfering with him. She could respect that.

 

            “Thank you both!” Rapunzel looked at the Koch’s, hoping that they could see how truly grateful she was to them. “If it hadn’t been for you two, I don’t know what would have happened to us. You have my eternal gratitude.”

 

            “What does the note mean?” The old woman begged.

 

            Glancing briefly at the letter, Rapunzel answered. “It means that we’re heading in the same direction as he is. I’m sure will run into him again, even if he doesn’t want us to.”

 

            Eugene smiled at Mrs. Koch. “Don’t worry about Varian. He may not look it, but he is a lot more resilient than he appears.”

 

            Mrs. Koch exhaled deeply and leaned against her husband shoulder. “I hope so. I’m tired of worrying.” Suddenly she noticed how weary her travelers were and jumped out of her seat. “Let’s get some beds set up for you. How long do you plan to stay?”

 

            The three companions smiled as the woman busied herself with her guests. Grabbing pillows, blankets and calling for her husband to bring the cot, Mrs. Koch ran around till they had settled down for the night. When she had finally closed the door to their room, Cassandra turned over to face Rapunzel.

 

           “So, what’s the plan, Rapunzel?”

 

          Rapunzel stroked Eugene’s fingers. “I think tomorrow we’ll leave and follow the rocks.”

 

          “What about the kid?” Eugene muttered from below them on the floor.

 

          “We’ll have to leave him alone, until he comes to us. That’s all we can do.”

 

          Exhausted, the three of them drifted off to sleep.            

 

            The next morning Rapunzel tried to pay the Koch’s for their hospitality and for what Varian had stolen, but they refused, stating that no harm had been done and that they were happy to serve in any way they could. Giving the couple one of her massive bear hugs, Rapunzel took Eugene’s hand and pulled herself onto Maximus.

 

            “Goodbye!” The three of them called out as they rushed off to find the trail the rocks had led.

 

            Unbeknownst to them, a hulking figure watched them as they left. When the elderly bakers had returned to their home, the man slipped away. He weaved his way through the still sleeping village and made his way towards the ruins of the mine. Tents and dugouts had been erected from the wreckage. The man wended his way through the rubble and makeshift lodgings until he arrived at the entrance to one of the dugouts. Picking up a stick he rapped on the stone three times.

 

            “Come in.”

 

            He brushed past the curtain entryway and knelt in front of the man inside.

 

            “Did you see them, Jerome?”

 

            Eyes downcast, Jerome nodded in confirmation.

 

            “And you’re sure that they were the ones responsible for the boy’s escape?”

 

            Jerome lifted his eyes to look his leader in the eye. Alrick was lying on a salvaged mattress. Half his face and head were covered in bandages and his arm wrapped in a splint. Alrick noted Jerome’s silent affirmation. He sat up and rummaged through a stack of papers beside him. Pulling out a fresh leaf, he began scribbling.

 

           As he wrote he muttered. “So, the princess of Corona leaving the safety of her kingdom. I guess we ought to see what Frederic thinks is so important that it’s worth the risk of letting his precious baby girl out of his sight.” He finished writing and with one hand folded the paper. Pulling out a stick of wax, he heated it over the candle and let a sizable drop fall. Alrick pushed his signet ring into the melted wax. Once the wax had cooled, he handed the folded paper to Jerome. “I believe it’s time to rally the men.” His eye narrowed. “All of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shout out to BandedBright for giving me the idea to cover what Rapunzel and co. went through before they found the Koch’s. I didn’t know where to put it, but then this chapter just seized the idea and it became the majority of the chapter. Thanks for the excellent idea!
> 
> For some reason, I purposely go out of my way to keep Jerome silent. I don’t know why, but I can’t imagine him saying anything. Maybe I find his stoic silence to be funny.
> 
> Part II: The Path in the Shadows will begin with Chapter 11. Part II will return to the mystery of the rocks. 
> 
> Like I said above, I won’t be able to update next week, but hopefully the week after I will be. I finally made a rough map and outline for the rest of the story! 
> 
> In case you’re wondering, I’m really excited for the next chapter!


	11. Stolen Apples and Music Boxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian explores a new town and runs into some interesting people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:
> 
> I apologize for not publishing earlier. I had two essays to write this week and when Sunday hit, I struggled to write. Nevertheless, I’ve done it!
> 
> I’m so excited to start Part II. I won’t lie and say that Varian isn’t my favorite character to write, because he is. I like to write drama and I feel like his story, more than anyone else’s, follows a dramatic path. Rapunzel is the protagonist, but to me, Varian is the deuteragonist and a lot of the story revolves around him. So, for those of you who wonder if Varian is going to be a prominent character in this story: Yes, he is probably the character that has the most detailed path as of right now.
> 
> I’m pretty happy to be over the Heilen chapters. I liked writing them, but I’d rather focus on the adventure and see where these characters go. Hurt/comfort can be fun, but eventually it becomes too much. Also, I’ve learned that you can’t let yourself become blind to the errors that characters make. What Varian did was wrong, understandable, but wrong. Rapunzel made mistakes, but never out of a desire to hurt others, unlike Varian. While I have sympathy for our little alchemist, I certainly believe he is more at fault and that Rapunzel shouldn’t be the one crawling over asking for forgiveness. That’s not fair to her character.

**Tangled: The Series:**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part II: The Path in the Shadows

Chapter 11: Stolen Apples and Music Boxes

 

            The small village Varian had stumbled upon, turned out to be much larger than he’d thought. It was more reminiscent of the town surrounding the castle in Corona. People were bustling through the streets, entering and exiting little shops, chatting to friends and neighbors, and quarreling over perceived injustices.

 

            Varian and Rudiger wended their way through the crowds looking for something to fill their empty stomachs. He bit his tongue from the sharp pain throbbing through his upper body, every time someone rudely shoved their way past him.

 

            _Huh! You’d think they’d notice the sling!_

            The jostling only got worse as he approached the center of town; however, his irritation quickly melted at the rows of stalls lining the streets, each piled high with a gorgeous array of delicious food.

 

            Mouth watering, Varian whispered to his raccoon. “You go get some bread, I’ll grab some of the fruit over there. Meet me at that statue afterwards.”

 

            Rudiger didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly scampered through the crowd and disappeared from view. His companion gone, Varian slipped through the mass of people towards the fruit stalls.

 

            Growing up, Varian never had any reason to steal. His father had been the leader of the village and they always had enough to eat. Varian had patched up his own clothing, not because new ones were too expensive, but rather because it didn’t make sense to him to buy more when he would simply outgrow them in a year. That money was better spent on buying materials for his experiments and inventions. But after the storm, Varian found himself desperate to support himself. As the villagers of Old Corona moved to the land the king had promised them, Varian began scrounging around for food. When he hadn’t been trying to break his father out of his amber prison, he’d been busy collecting whatever food and supplies were available. Thankfully, Old Corona still had much to offer its lone resident.

 

            The first time he stole had been relatively mild. Despite the fact that many villagers would return to Old Corona to collect items that they’d forgotten or hadn’t been able to bring with them initially, Varian found himself sneaking off with some of their possessions. His unease with the thought of stealing quickly dissipated until he was prepared for his ultimate heist: the Sundrop flower.

 

            Varian stared at the different carts of produce. Blackberries, raspberries, elderberries, and many other varieties of berries were loaded in wicker baskets. Beside them were plump red strawberries that made Varian’s mouth water. He considered nabbing a few, but one look at the man behind the stall ended that. To his surprise, most of the vendors were far from inviting. Rather than trying to win anyone over to their produce with sheer charisma, they seemed to rely on the virtue of their fruit to bring them business. Varian couldn’t blame them. From what he had seen, the farmers knew what they were doing and had cultivated an excellent crop. Unfortunately, that meant that Varian was less likely to get away with grabbing some of the fruit under their watchful beady eyes.

 

            The crowds pushed him along before he was able to attempt anything, until he was standing at one of the last vendors in the lineup. Instead of a wagon piled high with crops, this one was simply a woven basket with a checkered cloth wrapped around a small pile of rosy red apples. He lifted his eyes to look at the attendant. A girl that looked to be around his age was sitting down with a blanket over her lap. She stared listlessly off into the distance, not keeping a close eye on the apples before her. Taking advantage of her distraction, Varian swiped one of the apples from the basket and slid it into his pocket.

 

            “Oh good! Someone’s taking advantage of our free apples! Silly people keep paying for them and I’m over here thinking, they’re free!”

 

            Varian froze. The girl’s eyes had refocused and were narrowed in annoyance. It was obvious she had spotted his theft, but other than her glare and the irritation dripping from her voice, she made no attempt to stop him. Around them, no one had stopped to see what was going on, causing Varian to seize the opportunity before him.

 

            “Thanks for the apples!” He smiled and winked mockingly as he took a couple more from the basket and shoved them into his deep pockets.

 

            “Hey wait! I need that money!”

 

            Varian ignored her cries and disappeared into the crowd. With some discomfort, he managed to maneuver his way over to the statue where he had agreed to meet Rudiger. Fortunately, the raccoon had been successful in acquiring two loaves of bread, though it was obvious he had already consumed one and was in the process of eating the second.

 

            Varian snatched the nibbled bread from Rudiger. “Hey! That’s mine!” He said while unpocketing one of the apples and dangling it playfully over the little creature’s head. “Do you want me to snack on your apple?”

 

            Rudiger attempted to grab the apple, but Varian held on tight. Eventually, after a good laugh, he let go and Rudiger began chomping down on the fruit. Varian ripped off a chunk of the bread while he peered around at the people bustling around them. The cacophony of people yelling, crying, and arguing was becoming too much for him. To his left, he spotted a narrow alley with less traffic.

 

            “Come on, Rudiger! Let’s get out of this place!” Varian used his working arm to push his way through the mass of people with Rudiger close on his heels.

 

           They alley way was short, but it led to another wider street lined with different shops. Varian approached the windows and admired their displays while he ate his meal. The stolen apples were juicy and refreshing. As he was waiting for Rudiger to finish salivating over a pyramid of chocolate truffles, Varian thought back to the girl he had stolen from. It was evident that she must not have had a lot of money and those apples were important to her, but why hadn’t she tried to stop him? Varian’s arm was still wrapped up in a sling and he knew that at first look he didn’t appear intimidating. Part of him felt guilty for the way he had mocked her.

 

            _She isn’t Rapunzel, so, why was I being so callous?_

            Varian put his right arm into his pockets: no money. Even if he wanted to pay for food, he couldn’t. He was probably the most impoverished person in the entire town. With a pained sigh, he motioned for Rudiger to keep moving, the thought of money fresh in his mind. The next window caught Varian’s interest. A large display of clocks varying in size and intricacy were laid out with delicate precision. To the right was a massive grandfather clock with a gleaming ivory face and side panels intricately carved with flora and fauna. His eyes wide with excitement, Varian pushed open the door to enter the shop. Through the dim lighting, Varian could see hundreds of clocks and watches bordering the little store. Behind the counter at the back, there was a wizened man tinkering with a little colored box.

 

            “Do you make all of these?” Varian breathed in awe as he stared at the complex array of gears, pulleys, and cables.

 

            “Not all of them! The watches are my work. Those clocks over there are my brother, Sigmund’s, specialty.”

 

            “They’re amazing!”

 

            The man humphed. “Sure, they’re nice, but these are even more impressive!”

 

            Varian crossed over the creaking wooden floor to stand opposite the man. He stooped down to get a closer look at the box the man was fiddling with. A familiar contraption was at the center of the box: a golden cylinder with tiny prongs spaced intermittently.

 

            “A music box?” Varian  groaned. “That’s nothing special. I’ve mastered that in a week!”

 

            “Think you’re smart, huh? Well this isn’t just any music box!”

 

          The man gently closed the lid and reassembled the pieces. Picking up an ornate little key, he pushed it into its designated spot and cranked it. Once he’d finished, he leaned back and lifted the lid. A beautiful songbird emerged from within along with a gently melody that rang out. Compared to the tune that Varian had devised for his automatons, this one was sweet and reminiscent of lullabies a mother would sing while trying to get her children to bed. He couldn’t explain why, but the music irritated him.

 

          “So, it’s a music box…with a bird in it? I’d hardly call that special. I’ve made timing cylinders that could control automatons! This doesn’t do anything!”

 

          Just then the door chime rang and a little girl and her mother entered the shop. The last notes were emanating from the colored box, catching the child’s attention. She ran towards the box and despite not being tall enough to see over the counter, began jumping up and down to get a look at what had made the music.

 

          “Is that for me, Mr. Uhr?” She gasped.

 

          “That’s right, young lady! I just finished it in time for you too!”

 

          Mr. Uhr’s frown broke into a toothy grin. Varian was startled at how much younger he looked. Ten years seemed to have fallen from his face, even though the smile emphasized his wrinkles. He stood up and came around the corner, pushing past Varian to present the music box to the girl.

 

          The girl’s mother knelt beside her daughter and inhaled deeply. “Emilia, what a beautiful box!” She took it from Mr. Uhr’s hands and twisted the key to let the melody play again. “Mr. Uhr, once again, your craftsmanship is the finest in all of Himmel!”

 

          Varian watched as the man carefully wrapped up the box and handed it to the woman. She paid him and left the store with her daughter cheerfully skipping down the cobbled streets. Turning away from the window, Varian saw Mr. Uhr collect his utensils and disappear into the back room with the money in hand.

 

          After a few minutes, he reemerged and spotting Varian, growled, “Oh! You’re still here, Mr. I’m so special!”

 

          Varian rolled his eyes. “I guess it’s not useless if you make some money off it.”

 

          The man snorted. “Money’s got nothing to do with it! It may be trivial, but nothing is more rewarding than making someone happy.”

  

          Varian was silent. His mind went back to the look of anger and hurt on the girl’s face from the marketplace. He certainly hadn’t made her happy.

   

_I don’t think I’ve been making anyone happy these day, but then again, when have I ever?_

          “You’re a young kid. Where did you learn how to make the musical cylinder?”

 

          Varian frowned deeply. Despite knowing the answer to the question, he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Mr. Uhr that he’d reverse engineered an attack machine and used it to try and kill people. That certainly wasn’t about making people happy.

 

           “I—I worked with an inventor in my village. He showed me how.”

  

          The watchmaker stared at him curiously. “In your village? You’re not from Himmel, are you?”

 

           Varian felt his palms sweating. His words stumbled out. “No—no, I’m from—elsewhere.”

 

          “And you’re all by yourself?” Mr. Uhr didn’t wait for Varian to respond. His interest in the boy was piqued and he eyed him from head-to-toe. “What happened to your arm?”

 

          “I broke my collarbone.”

 

           Varian felt uncomfortable with the barrage of questions. He wished he had left the shop earlier, before the little girl and her mother had come, but the sight of the money the woman had handed Mr. Uhr reminded Varian that he had nothing to buy food, shelter, or supplies. Despite believing he had overcome any guilt that came from theft, the stolen apples continued to gnaw at him. He knew he couldn’t keep stealing if he was to survive.

 

           “Travelling by yourself with a broken collarbone. You must be in quite the predicament, young man.”

 

           “Yeah, well, I don’t have much in the way of money.” Varian swallowed and stared at the floor. “Do you think I could help you around here in exchange for a small sum?”

 

            The sound of laughter caused Varian to raise his eyes. The watchmaker was thumping the counter as his body shook.

 

            “You want me to hire you after you insulted my work?” Mr. Uhr wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “You want me to hire a rude boy with a broken collarbone?” More hearty laughter followed, before the man gained control of his breathing. “If Sigmund were here, he’d knock my head and say I’d gone mad!”

 

            Varian gawked at the man, confused. Mr. Uhr continued to chuckle lightly as he removed himself from the counter and retreated into the back room. He returned shortly carrying a rag, which he tossed to Varian. The alchemist glanced at the cloth and back to Mr. Uhr.

 

            “You said you wanted a job, didn’t you?” He motioned to the clocks circling the shop. “I’m a busy man and I don’t have time to clean up my shop. I want you to dust everything. Once you’re done I’ll give you ten copper coins. That should be enough for a meal and some lodging.”

 

            He couldn’t believe it! He’d actually managed to get a job! Rag clenched firmly in hand, Varian rushed to the window display and began clearing away the thick dust that had accumulated, occasionally using Rudiger’s tail to get into the cracks.

 

            _Not the cleanest method, but it works._

 

            Varian labored over the clocks for a couple of hours. Coughing over the particles of dust he had disturbed, he surveyed his progress. It wasn’t much. The shop was covered with devices that still had thick layers of dust. Mr. Uhr had made sure Varian wasn’t skimping over anything; every nick and cranny had to be spotless if he was to earn the copper coins. However, the sun was lowering in the sky and Varian had only dusted a third of the front room. Mr. Uhr resurfaced from the back.

 

            “Seems you’ve made some pretty mediocre progress, kid. I’d let you stay to finish, but I feel you’d just ransack my tools and take my earnings!”

 

            Varian was affronted. “I would never!”

 

            The old man waved his hand apathetically. “I bet you probably stole something, today, didn’t you? The guilt is written all over your face.” He eyed Varian as the boy shifted uncomfortably on the floor. Mr. Uhr pulled a small bag from his pocket and tossed it to Varian.

 

            “But I haven’t finished!” Varian didn’t know why he was protesting.

 

            “I’m well aware of that, boy. That’s why there are only nine copper pieces. Come back tomorrow and you’ll earn double if you complete the task.” Mr. Uhr pointed towards the door. “Now hurry up and get going! I’ve got to close the shop and I don’t want you following me home!”

 

            Obediently, Varian scuffled to his feet and darted out the door, Rudiger close behind. Once he’d left, faint traces of a smile graced the old watchmaker’s wrinkled face.

 

            Though the streets were far from empty, it was clear that people had begun to return to their homes. Varian found a lonely street corner and sat down on the cobbled stones. He emptied the little sack to stare at the reddish metal. Nine copper coins clinked against each other; his first earnings with the promise of double tomorrow. Varian hadn’t expected to stay in Himmel. He thought he’d only make a quick excursion into town, steal some food, and then head out, but instead, he’d been sidetracked.

 

            Varian shoved the coins back into the bag. “Rudiger, we better find someplace to sleep tonight.” Rudiger climbed into Varian’s lap, yawned, and curled into a small ball, his eyes closed. “No, we are not sleeping on the street! This isn’t Old Corona! Towns have higher crime rates and I don’t want to end up in a pauper’s grave!”

 

            Varian grunted in discomfort as he pushed himself to his feet. His ribs only hurt when he ran or breathed too hard, but his clavicle ached at random. Even though he hadn’t used his left arm to dust, he had in order to pick up little odds and ends, strewn among the clocks. The combination of being jostled through crowds and exerting his weaker arm a little more than usual, left his collarbone throbbing. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he took off down the street in the direction of the mountains where the forest had been.

 

            He’d been walking for about forty-five minutes and had just found a spot behind some bushes that he thought would be a good place to sleep, when the still evening air was broken by a loud shout.

 

            “HELP!”

 

            Varian’s head jerked in the direction of the scream. It was high pitched, feminine, and didn’t seem to be too far away. Six months ago, Varian would have jumped at the opportunity to be the hero, just like Flynnigan Rider. But a lot had changed in six months. Varian slumped against the tree, his eyes heavy, yearning for slumber. Rudiger nudged him nervously, obviously perturbed by the continued cry for help.

 

            “I can’t live my life trying to save everyone! No one tries to help me!” Varian snapped.

 

           Suddenly the image of his father rushing over and pushing him out of the path of the growing amber shot through his mind. Varian’s stomach constricted painfully, forcing him to curl up, while powerful tremors racked his body. Rudiger crawled up his side and nuzzled his master anxiously. Varian struggled to regulate his breathing, but at long last he managed to overcome the trembling and his palpitating heart slowed down.

 

           “I promised I’d make him proud!” Varian shoved himself upright, disregarding his sore ribs. With fire in his eyes he reiterated. “I promised!”

 

           Varian rushed towards where the screams had come from and hid himself behind a craggy boulder to look at what was happening.

 

           A wooden chair was flipped on its side along with a familiar basket of apples which were scattered over the ground. Collapsed next to the basket was the girl from the marketplace, her eyes wide with terror at the two men looming over her with knives. To Varian’s surprise, she chucked a heavy rock at one of her assailants. He dodged easily, but his companion wasn’t so lucky and was struck in the gut.

 

          “Stop trying to get away, you li’l brat! Don’t make me carve up your pretty face!” He raised his knife threateningly.

 

          “Hey! Leave her alone!” Varian stepped out from behind the rock to face the men.

 

          The men whirled around to see who had snuck up on them. When they spotted Varian, their shock was replaced malicious grins.

 

          “Hey, Otto! Look at this runt!” The robber wheezed, still clutching his winded stomach.

 

          “I know, Rob! What do you think you’re doing, runt?” Otto sneered.

 

          Varian gulped and took a step backwards. “Stopping you.”

 

          They sniggered. “Stopping us? And how’re you gonna do that? You’re a twig and you’ve got a broken arm!”

 

          Rob whispered audibly in Otto’s ear. “Probably got that trying to take a baby’s rattle!”

 

          “Good one, buddy! Now get him!”

 

          Rob nodded and sauntered over to Varian who had taken another step backwards. When there was less than a yard between them, Varian’s terrified expression melted into one of sly confidence.

 

          “RUDIGER! NOW!”

 

          A black and grey mass leapt from the boulder onto Rob’s head. The man screamed, dropping his dagger as he tried to pry off the racoon; however, Rudiger held on tight and in a frightening display, bit, scratched, and clawed at the hapless man.

 

          “OTTO!” He screamed.

 

          The other bandit looked at the raccoon in horror. “It’s rabid!”

 

           Varian flashed a sinister smirk. “Very astute observation!” He beckoned to Rudiger who leapt off the robber and crawled to Varian’s side. “If you run off with your friend, I won’t activate the curse.”

 

           Otto’s eyes flickered between Varian and Rudiger. His terror was palpable. “What are you?”

 

           Varian began chanting ominously while he pulled out the bag from his pocket, but by then there was no need to continue. The robbers had fled at a breakneck speed into the darkening forest.

 

           Chuckling, Varian knelt and fondly patted Rudiger on the head. “Way to go, buddy.”

 

          “Wh—what are you?”

 

          The faint whisper caught Varian by surprise and he looked up to see the girl staring at him alarmed. In the scuffle, he had forgotten that she was there.

 

          “I’m not a monster. The raccoon doesn’t have rabies. And no, I cannot activate a curse. That was all for show.” He grabbed one of the apples that had fallen and with Rudiger’s help began collecting them all to put them back in the basket.

 

           The girl continued to eye him warily, but she didn’t protest his help. “I know you! You’re the boy from the market that stole from me!”

 

           Varian winced at her accusation. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I was pretty rude, wasn’t I?”

 

           She huffed apathetically. “What does it matter? Those ruffians made off with all my earnings. Even if you had paid me for them, I still wouldn’t have the money.”

 

           Varian took out the bag from his pocket. After a moment’s deliberation, he handed the sack to her. “This is payment for the apples. I’m sorry I stole from you earlier.”

 

           The girl stared at the bag outstretched to her. Then with a warm smile she took it from him. “Apology accepted—” Her head tilted to the side. “What’s your name?”

 

           He rubbed the back of his neck shyly. “It’s Varian.”

 

           “Varian, huh. My name is Greta.” She pointed to her left. “Could you do me a favor? That chair over there, I need it.”

 

           “Oh, sure!” Varian sped over to the wooden chair and pulled it upright. He noticed that instead of legs, four wheels of two different sizes held the chair upright. A couple of the spokes had snapped, but otherwise the wheelchair looked sturdy. He wheeled it over to Greta.

 

           Using her arms, she dragged her body over to the chair. With Varian holding it steady, she hauled herself into the seat, took a deep breath, and beamed. “Thanks!”

 

           “Some of the spokes are broken. I can repair them if you’d like. I’m pretty good at fixing things.”

 

           “Like your arm? You must feel pretty guilty for stealing from me earlier.” She giggled and motioned towards the setting sun. “It’ll have to wait. My mother is going to be beside herself with worry. I was supposed to be home an hour ago.”

 

            “I should make sure you get home safely.”

 

            “Stop pretending to be a gentleman! You already showed me your true colors earlier. I’m not a fool, you know!” Greta’s playful intonation and demeanor made it clear her words weren’t to be taken seriously.

 

            “Hey! I can be a gentleman when I want! You just caught me at a bad moment!”

 

            It was dark when they approached Himmel. Greta rolled herself up to an inn skirting the town proper. Outside there was an apple tree, boughs heavy from the fruit.

 

Greta turned to face Varian. “So, where are you headed?”

 

            Varian gaze shifted towards the forest. “I guess I’ll go find a comfortable bush to sleep under.”

 

            Greta’s eyes followed his. She gaped at the forest and then back at Varian. “There is no way you’re going to go sleep in the forest! You saw, it’s full of brigands!”

 

            “Where else am I to sleep?” He looked at her finger which was pointing to the inn behind her. “But, I—I don’t have the money.”

 

            She jangled the bag of coins and smiled warmly at him. “At least you paid for the apples. And if it hadn’t been for you and your rabid raccoon, I don’t think I would have been able to bring anything home, even myself.”

 

            Varian blushed. It seemed like forever ago that anyone had actually smiled at him the way Greta was: not with pity, but gratitude. Plus, the thought of a warm bed to curl up in did sound appealing. He’d be lying to himself if he said he enjoyed sleeping on the earthen floor day after day.

 

            His mind made up, he rolled his eyes in mock sarcasm and smiled back at Greta. “Well, if you have room.”                   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Notes:
> 
> People have known about rabies a long time. Historically, the disease terrified people due to the horrifying symptoms and the fact that there wasn’t a known cure. 
> 
> Most names I come up with have some significance. If you want some clues regarding characters or places, their names sometimes have little tidbits in them. 
> 
> Himmel is German for sky/heaven. I chose that name for a reason.
> 
> Uhr is German for clock and Peter and Sigmund were famous watch and clockmakers. Watchmakers also built music boxes.
> 
> Peter Uhr literally popped out of nowhere. I had this vague idea for a character, but then he became one of the chapter’s focal points, sort of like Norman.
> 
> Greta has been in the development process for quite some time. Let me know what your initial impression are of her.
> 
> I’ve seen Rudiger spelled as ‘Rudiger’ and ‘Ruddiger”. I don’t know which is technically correct, but since this is the spelling I’ve used, I’m going to remain with it.


	12. The Princess' Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel learns some difficult lessons about compassion and about the black rocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter! I had a wonderful day full of inspiring words about serving others and loving your fellow man!
> 
> Last chapter was fun! I hadn’t initially planned for Varian to “use” magic to frighten off the bandits, but when I got there, I couldn’t help myself! 
> 
> I’ve done a basic description of each chapter so I can pace myself. Currently, Part II should be 10 chapters long, just like Part I.
> 
> Also, I love comments. I love to read what you think and if you have any theories. It makes the writing process more exciting. I enjoy answering questions too. I won’t spoil anything, but I do love to see what my readers are looking forward to.

**Tangled: The Series:**

**A Speculative Continuation**

 

Part II: The Path in the Shadows

Chapter 12: The Princess’ Compassion

 

            It had only been a day and a half since departing from Heilen when Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene rode into Himmel. Their stomachs growling, they dismounted at a little inn on the town’s border and entered.

 

            A sudden waft of deliciousness enveloped them. Mouths watering, they looked around and spotted the source of the aroma. Through an opening, they could see a woman bustling around the kitchen stirring various pots and spooning up bowls full with golden broth to be taken to the hungry patrons. Eugene led the group to an empty table where they collapsed into the chairs. Immediately, a young girl approached them, her hair braided in two honey-colored plaits.

 

            “Welcome to the Sternberg Inn. We don’t have much of a menu, but we do have a lentil soup that is popular with the customers.” The girl looked at Eugene expectantly.

 

            “Oh, well if that’s the wonderful scent that drew me to this inn, then my friends and I simply have to try it!” Eugene flashed his pearly teeth in a charming grin.

 

            “I—I’ll bring it out!” She scurried off, but not before Cassandra noticed the red seeping into her youthful cheeks.

 

            “So now you’re flirting with children? Way to go Eugene!”

 

            Flustered, Eugene opened his mouth in protest, but Rapunzel beat him to it.

 

            “Cassandra, don’t be so hard on Eugene! He just has a charming smile! I don’t know a girl who doesn’t think his smile’s adorable!”

 

            Cassandra raised her eyebrow. “I don’t. Every time I see it, I just feel like poking some holes in it!”

 

            “Well, Cassandra, that’s because you aren’t a woman. I’m pretty sure you’re a gorgon!”

 

            Cassandra and Eugene continued to bicker while Rapunzel looked on in amusement. Before long the young girl had returned with a tray holding three bowls of soup and a medium loaf of bread. Deliberately avoiding Eugene, she quickly set the soup and loaf down and ran off to attend to the other customers. Cassandra shot an accusatory glance at Eugene before sipping the lentil soup.

 

            “Wow! This soup is amazing!”

 

            Rapunzel nodded. “I love all the spices! It really rounds out the soup!”

 

            “It could be horrible and I’d still eat it!” Eugene swigged. “Thankfully, this stuff tastes as good as it smells!”

 

            The chatter died down as the three of them focused on their delectable meal. Rapunzel had nearly finished when she felt someone lift up her woven tresses. She dropped her spoon and turned to see who was behind her. Another girl, similar in appearance to the one that had brought the soup was holding her hair on her lap. Rapunzel couldn’t help but smile at the wide-eyed wonder on her face.

 

            “Long isn’t it?”

 

            Not taking her eyes off the hair, the girl bobbed her head. “I’ve never seen hair this long before and the color is beautiful!”

 

            “What’s your name?”

 

            “Greta.” She glanced briefly at Rapunzel before continuing to admire the golden locks.

 

            “Well, Greta. I think you have beautiful hair too!”

 

            At that, Greta turned her full attention to Rapunzel. Self-consciously, she raised her hands to her honey-colored hair and began tugging at the curls, straightening them, before letting them bounce back. She laughed softly. “Thanks, but I hardly think I can compare mine to yours. My hair was longer when I was young, but after the accident, we had to cut it so it wouldn’t get caught in the spokes. I don’t mind it though. Curly hair is easier to manage at this length anyway.”

 

            Rapunzel noticed the wheelchair that Greta was sitting in. She was about to ask her about the accident, but then a grey and black chittering blur came dashing out of a side room and leapt onto Rapunzel.

 

            “Rudiger!”

 

            Rapunzel stared down at the raccoon in shock. Eugene and Cassandra had tensed up and were looking around the inn to see if the critter’s companion was anywhere nearby. Rudiger looked happily at the princess none the wiser to the alarm he had caused.

 

            A startled Greta observed Rapunzel with heightened interest. “You know Rudiger?”

 

           “Yes! He belongs to—a—a friend of ours.” Rapunzel followed Cassandra and Eugene in looking around the inn to see if she could spot the friend in question. “Is he here by any chance?”

 

           “No. He’s in town, working for a watchmaker. Rudiger stays here because the dust bothers his nose.” Greta stroked the raccoon’s ear affectionately. “If you stay a couple of hours, you could probably run into him and say hi.”

 

           The three friends met each other’s gaze. As much as Rapunzel wanted to see that Varian was okay, she knew he would be less than welcoming to their appearance. The note he’d left in Heilen specifically told them to leave him alone. She didn’t want to think of the argument that would unfold if he were to find them here. Nevertheless, Rapunzel was relieved to hear that he was well enough to have found a job and a place to stay.

 

_At least he isn’t sleeping on the streets._

          “We’d love to stay, but unfortunately we have to leave soon. We only stopped in town for some food. But tell me, how is Varian doing?”

 

          Greta’s face brightened. “He’s doing great! He fixed my wheelchair the other day after some bandits—” She covered her mouth in horror and glanced over to the kitchen. “I broke my chair and he fixed it. He’s been a help ever since.”

 

         Eugene piped up. “Bandits! What were you saying about bandits?”

 

         Groaning, Greta smacked her forehead. Through the gap in her fingers, she glared at Eugene. “Keep your voice down! I don’t need my mom hearing that!” She dropped her hand and with intense eyes, whispered, “Some bandits attacked, broke my wheelchair, and stole my money. If it hadn’t been for Varian and Rudiger I wouldn’t be sitting here today!”

 

         Rapunzel covered her mouth. “That must’ve been terrifying!”

 

         Greta shrugged. “I was scared at first, but then Varian came and scared them off, pretending to be a wizard or something. Afterwards, he helped me get home.”

 

         “I guess there’s hope for the kid after all!” Eugene whispered to Rapunzel.

 

          Greta sat upright in her chair as a woman approached the table from the kitchens. It was clear that the woman was the owner of the inn and the mother of the two girls. She possessed the same honey blonde hair, though hers was twisted neatly in a bun. A few stray strands fell across her weary face.

 

           “I hope my daughter isn’t bothering you. She can have quite the mouth.”

 

            Rapunzel turned to face the woman and smiled sweetly. “Oh no! I enjoyed the conversation. My friends tend to argue a lot, so it’s nice to talk to someone who isn’t bickering.”

 

            “Mom! You have to look at this hair! I’ve never seen hair this long before!”

 

            “Yes, Greta, it is beautiful, but it isn’t polite to go touching people’s hair without their permission. You should know better.” Greta’s mother brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Besides, I believe their horses outside could use some hay. Why don’t you and Heidi go out and feed them?”

 

            Greta sighed in annoyance, but obediently wheeled off to get her sister and feed the horses. Her mother sat down at the table. Like her daughter, her eyes peered deeply into the three of them, studying their faces. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably, disliking the attention.

 

            “Is something bothering you, Mrs.—?” Cassandra trailed off.

 

            “Sternberg. Mrs. Sternberg. And yes, something is bothering me.”

 

            Rapunzel leaned in nervously. “What? Did we do something wrong?”

 

            Mrs. Sternberg shook her head, but continued to gaze intently at Rapunzel. When she spoke, it was in a barely audible whisper.  “What is someone like you doing outside of Corona?”

 

            Rapunzel and her companions were speechless. Before she could answer, Mrs. Sternberg spoke again.

 

            “I know you’re Corona’s princess, Rapunzel, but I would think your father would be reluctant to let you leave your kingdom.”

 

            Under the table, Eugene squeezed Rapunzel’s hand. “I’m sorry, but what does that have to do with you?”

 

            Mrs. Sternberg’s eyes softened. “My concern is that Corona is the safest of the seven kingdoms. During the day, these forests may seem peaceful, but they actually house numerous little bands of robbers that prey on the unsuspecting. I know, because I’ve seen the unpleasant results of the travelers that were unlucky enough to come across the more violent groups.  As a mother of two girls, one of which is constantly rolling around getting into trouble, I’m surprised your father would let you leave.”

 

            Rapunzel could see the look of genuine concern in Mrs. Sternberg’s face. She was telling the truth. “You’re right, my dad isn’t too excited about me leaving the kingdom, but I’m on a very important mission that only I can do.”

 

            Eugene flashed a confident grin. “And don’t worry yourself about our girl here. Rapunzel is quite capable of taking care of herself. I fear for any unlucky soul that meets her frying pan!”

 

            “Besides, she’s not the only one that knows how to fight.” Cassandra gripped her sword hilt.

 

            Mrs. Sternberg glanced down at the raccoon still in Rapunzel’s lap. “Well that may be true of the three of you, but what about the boy.” Noticing the uneasy looks on their faces, she continued. “I know that you know him. I saw from the kitchen that the raccoon recognized you. I first met him when Greta came home with him two nights ago. He didn’t have any money, but I wasn’t about to turn the poor boy away, especially with the injuries he had. However, I couldn’t help but ask myself. Why would a boy his age be travelling alone and injured?” She lifted her eyes and stared at the three of them. “He hasn’t told me anything about his past, but I’m not blind. I know he’s hiding something.”

 

            “What do you want to know?” Rapunzel’s chest felt taut.

 

            “I just want to know if he’s dangerous.”

 

            The tightness in Rapunzel chest didn’t go away, but instead moved to her stomach which churned nervously. She felt three pairs of eyes follow her. Rapunzel didn’t know how to respond. She wanted Varian to have to opportunity to rebuild and have positive influences in his life, but she couldn’t lie and say he was harmless. Time and time again, he had proven himself to be an unpredictable and menacing threat. However, his duplicitous actions were always directed towards those he felt had wronged him.

 

            “Varian is kind hearted and has noble intentions.” Cassandra and Eugene’s eyes widened with shock, but she wasn’t finished. “As long as you don’t hurt him or those he cares about, you should have nothing to fear.”

 

            Mrs. Sternberg didn’t seem satisfied with Rapunzel’s answer. She shifted her gaze towards Eugene waiting for his response.

 

            Eugene glanced sideways at Rapunzel before answering. “He’s a smart kid with a lot of great ideas and a lot of bad ones.” He chuckled nervously. “If he stays here for a while and starts building stuff, make sure he runs it by you first.”

 

            “He’s one of the most helpful people I ever met. I wish I hadn’t taken advantage of his kindness and been a better friend to him.” Cassandra’s eyes were fixed firmly on the bowl in front of her.

 

            Mrs. Sternberg stood up from the table. “Obviously there are some ill feelings between you, but I understand. If it’s any comfort to you, I won’t be throwing him out. You can rest easy knowing that.”

 

            “Thank you.” Rapunzel’s stomach had calmed down and she felt a surge of love for the woman.

 

            With a kind smile, Mrs. Sternberg replied. “It hasn’t been easy raising my daughters by myself. Greta in particular has been a challenge. Varian was one of the first people to show her any friendship. If that boy needs some parenting, I guess I can be the one to do it.” She walked off in the direction of the other guests, leaving them to finish their cold soup.

 

            Once they’d eaten and paid for their meal, Rapunzel and her companions left the Sternberg Inn to continue their journey. Knowing that Varian was in Himmel brought comfort to Rapunzel, but also encouraged her to keep moving. Their wounds were still too fresh for another confrontation.

 

            They found the trail of black rocks and followed them through the forest. Squirrels and other forest dwelling creatures occasionally jutted across their path, otherwise the only company they had was each other. As the sun began to lower behind the mountains, sinister shadows emerged, trailing the three friends. Before the darkness became too thick, they dismounted and set up camp.

 

            Eugene started untying the tent while Cassandra wandered around looking for wood to make a fire. Rapunzel busied herself with finding decently sized rocks to form a circle for the fire pit. She had just completed placing the last stone, when a pile of brush dropped next to her.

 

            “I think this should be enough to start the fire.” Cassandra reclined on the earthen floor next to Rapunzel.

 

            Rapunzel began artfully arranging the logs and twigs within the circle. “Hey Cass.”

 

            “Yeah.”

 

            Placing the last branch into the pit, Rapunzel turned to look at her lady-in-waiting. “I want to thank you for what you said about Varian.”

 

            Cassandra sighed, pushing herself upright. “I don’t trust the kid and I don’t think I’ll ever trust him again, but you seem to want to help him, so I suppose I should too.” She set about making the fire.

 

            Rapunzel watched as her friend focused on her task. She knew Cassandra wasn’t one to show how she felt, but from what she’d said, Rapunzel surmised that Cassandra blamed herself a lot more than she let on for Varian’s fall. Somehow, she must have heard that he accused her of using him during the science expo.

 

            Gradually, the sparks from Cassandra’s efforts caused the firewood to smoke and then grow into a flame. Soon, a warm fire lit the small clearing they had chosen for their campsite.

 

            CRACK!

 

            Rapunzel and Cassandra bolted to their feet, holding a frying pan and sword respectively. Eugene, who had nearly complete assembling the tent, let go of the final pole and seized the crossbow from Maximus’ pack.

 

            “Who goes there?” Eugene called out. “I’m warning you! We’re armed!”

 

            “Why would you warn them?” Cassandra hissed. “If we’re going to be attacked by robbers, I’d rather they not know that we have weapons!”

 

            Eugene opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could speak two men came bumbling out of the forest, pointing sharp knives at them. One of them was covered with vicious scratches.

 

            “Give us your money!”

 

            Her sword drawn, Cassandra groaned with disappointment. “Are you honestly trying to rob us?”

 

            The larger of the two bandits, the one without the cuts, took a deep gulp. “Yes! Now hurry up, we don’t have all day!”

 

            “You mean night, right?” Like Cassandra, Eugene’s looked unimpressed. “If this is what the world of thieves and bandits has become, I don’t know why I bother teaching the guards!” He set his crossbow down, neared the men and pointed to their weapons. “Knives, guys? What chance did you think you had against us? I could understand attacking us in the dark, but once the fire was lit, you should have realized your mistake!”

 

            “What mistake?”

 

            “Knives versus sword, crossbow, and frying pan! Two against five! What were you thinking?” By some miracle, Eugene managed to place himself directly between the robbers, his arms around their shoulders in an affable manner.

 

            “Five? I only count three!” The large man questioned.

 

            “Which means you would still be outnumbered! But don’t worry that’s a rookie mistake! You see you forgot to consider the horses.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Believe me, the white one is equivalent to a battalion!”

 

            The smaller of the two men turned green. “Otto, let’s just forget this!”

 

            Otto shoved Eugene’s arm from his shoulder. “Rob! We can’t! We need to pay the healer if we’re to get your medicine!”

 

            That piqued Rapunzel’s tender heart. “Wait, you need the money for medicine? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

 

            Otto looked at Rapunzel with raised brow. His eyes fixated on her hair. “What would it have accomplished?”

 

            “We would have been glad to help, until you pulled knives on us!”

 

            Simultaneously, Otto and Rob dropped their knives and fell to their knees, hands clasped in supplication.

 

            “We’re so sorry! We shouldn’t have tried to rob you! We don’t have any money and are lost here in this forest!

 

            “Yeah! We were attacked and this was our only resort! Please forgive us!”

 

            Rapunzel lowered her frying pan and smiled warmly at them. “Don’t worry! We forgive you!” She came closer to the men and reached down to help them to their feet.

 

            Immediately, Otto grabbed his fallen knife and lunged at the princess, knocking the frying pan out of her hand and taking her by surprise. To his side, Rob had taken his knife and was pointing it at the back of his neck. Cassandra yelled in anger and raised her sword to strike, but Otto dug the knife deeper into Rapunzel neck. Roaring ferociously, Maximus and Fidella rushed forward to join Cassandra. Pascal squeaked from under the tent and ran towards the commotion.

 

            “What are you doing?” Rapunzel cried. “We wanted to help you!”

 

            Otto sneered. “I think you’ll help us plenty! There are lots of people that would pay a fine price to have Corona’s princess in their custody!”

 

            “Let her go!” Eugene growled, unable to move. “Have you heard of the Baron! I’m a wanted man! If you let her go, you can take me to the Baron and he’ll reward you handsomely!”

 

            “Nice try! But I think a princess is worth more than whatever price the Baron would pay for your head! Besides, you’re our captive too!”

 

             Slowly, Otto began stepping backwards towards the trees, taking Rapunzel with him. Likewise, Rob pushed Eugene with his knife. Cassandra and the two horses followed them. Pascal darted forward and attempted to bite the thief; however, Otto roughly kicked the chameleon off his leg. He kept backing away, keeping his eyes firmly on Cassandra and the horses. He hadn’t taken more than ten steps when Otto felt a sharp point against the small of his back.

 

            A cold voice rang from the dark forest. “You have three seconds to drop your blades, or else I’ll kill you. One.”

 

            Otto froze.

 

            “Two.”

 

            Rob shook violently.

 

            “Three.”

 

            The pressure was taken from Otto’s spine, but was replaced by a sinister swishing sound. Immediately he dropped his knife, followed by his companion. A powerful kick to the back sent him stumbling forward where he collapsed over Rapunzel.

 

      “Rapunzel!” Eugene cried out. But before Eugene was able to punch the other bandit in the face, a dark figure leapt from the shadows and flung the hapless robber to the ground. Eugene ignored the stranger and dashed towards the fallen heap and pushed a moaning Otto away from Rapunzel. Holding her arms, he gently lifted her to her feet and looked her in the eyes. “Are you okay?”

 

       Rapunzel was clearly shaken, but she managed to nod her head. “I—I’m fine. Are you alright?”

 

       Eugene pulled her into a comforting embrace. “I’m fine, too.”

 

       They withdrew from the collapsed men towards their companions. Cassandra stepped forward and pointed her sword at the stranger.

 

      “Who are you?”

 

      “Your efforts to show compassion on the undeserving nearly proved to be your downfall, Princess Rapunzel.” The stranger’s voice was deep but undeniably feminine in nature.

 

       The woman was tall and powerfully built and despite appearing to be close in age to Rapunzel’s father, she had long white hair tied up in golden rings. But her most striking feature was her face. Divided down the middle, one half was painted a deep red leaving the other half her natural tan.

 

       Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene watched as she strode over and pulled a massive black sword out of the earth. Without hesitating, she advanced towards the two robbers who were still cowering on the ground and held her blade next to their exposed necks.

 

       “Don’t kill them!” Rapunzel cried out.

 

       “You would have me show mercy to these villains? Believe me, the world would be better without them.”

 

       “But it isn’t your place to judge them!”

 

        The thieves winced as the sword pierced the ground between their faces. With disgruntled muttering, the woman knelt down, pulled out a thick rope from her pack, and roughly began tying their hands behind their backs. When she had run out of rope, she held up her hand and motioned for Eugene to bring her more cord. Obediently, he ran to the tent and went to hand her the coil of rope.

 

        “Can’t you see my hands are occupied?” She snapped. “Help me with this one. We’re going to tie them to that tree.”

 

         Together, Eugene and the woman hauled Otto and Rob towards a thick tree and wound the rope around, tying the men on opposite sides. Rapunzel and Cassandra looked on nervously.

 

         “Come look, your Highness!” The woman called. “These poor thieves have no need for your charity. They have all the money they need for medicine!” She pulled out several bags full of coins from their pockets. “Despite their pathetic levels of intelligence, these men have become quite the scourge in this part of the forest. They prey on anyone who happens to come across them; man, and woman, young and old, whole and infirm, to them it doesn’t matter.”

 

         Rapunzel stared at the men before her; their heads hung low in fear and shame. It was true that they had proven to be far more threatening than they had previously supposed. She lifted her hand to her neck and felt where Otto had threatened her with his knife. The skin hadn’t broken, but she couldn’t forget the fear it had caused her.

 

        The woman walked past Rapunzel and her friends and sat by the fire. Slowly, Rapunzel moved to join her, circling the fire to sit opposite her mysterious savior.

 

        “Wh—who are you and how do you know my name?”

 

        “My name is Khutulun and I know of you because you are the retainer of the sun drop.”

 

        Rapunzel gasped. “How do you know about the sun drop?”

 

        “Princess Rapunzel, I’ve spent most of my life asking questions and searching for answers, but finding out that you hold the sun drop’s power was not something I had to look for.” She pointed at one of the sharp black rocks not too far off. “I know you follow these rocks in search of answers. I, too, seek answers from them.” Khutulun pulled the sword from her back and showed it to them.

 

        Rapunzel immediately recognized the material. The geometric pattern was the same as on the black rocks, but this one had been cut and shaped into a magnificent blade.

 

        “That’s made of the black rocks! How were you able to cut it?”

 

        “I don’t know. This sword is all that’s left of the ruin that is my country.” Khutulun closed her almond eyes sorrowfully. “I cannot help you save your kingdom, princess, but I urge you to do something, because if you don’t, Corona, the Seven Kingdoms, all of it will be gone.”

 

        Cassandra and Eugene stared in horror, their mouths agape. Rapunzel’s eyes were wide with fear. “What happened to your country?”

 

         Khutulun reached up and untied her hair. The locks weren’t as long as Rapunzel’s but easily reached ten feet in length.

 

         “Your hair! It’s like mine?”

 

         “Not quite. Your hair was given to you by the Sun. Mine was given to me by the Moon.”

 

          Rapunzel gazed at the woman in amazement. “Then are you  my counterpart?”

 

          The woman laughed. “I highly doubt it! The world is a large place and I know for a fact that we are not the only ones to be cursed with this celestial burden.” The laughter died away and Khutulun focused her dark eyes firmly on Rapunzel. “As for what happened to my country, I don’t know what happened, except that it had something to do with this.” She motioned to her white tresses.

 

           Rapunzel was lost in thought. Everything that Khutulun had said was concerning. She knew that the mystery of the rocks and her hair were connected, but based on what she had heard, the situation seemed more alarming than previously thought. She had always thought of her hair as a blessing, even though Gothel had used it as an excuse to kidnap and imprison her. Regardless of the inconveniences it caused her, Rapunzel felt stronger having her magical hair to help her protect her loved ones. Now, she feared that it was an harbinger of doom.

 

           Khutulun stood up from the fire. Sheathing her sword, she turned away from Rapunzel and her friends and walked towards the dark forest.

 

          “Wait! Where are you going?” Eugene called out.

 

          “I must be on my way.”

 

           Startled from her thoughts, Rapunzel shouted. “But it’s too dark! Why don’t you join us and we can solve this mystery together?”

 

           Turning to face the princess, Khutulun smiled coldly. “You get easily distracted and show too much kindness.”

 

            Eugene bolted to Rapunzel’s defense. “Rapunzel’s kindness is not a weakness! It’s her greatest strength!”

 

            She smirked and pointed to the unconscious thieves. “If you show compassion, even to those who don’t want or deserve it, how can you expect to do what is necessary to save your kingdom?”

 

            Rapunzel wasn’t able to meet her eyes. While the memory of Otto’s knife on her throat was fresh, she couldn’t help but see cold blue eyes staring at her accusingly.

 

_“You promised you’d help me!”_

            Varian’s terrified voice echoed in her mind. She had sacrificed their friendship to save her country, but after what had happened, she didn’t know if she could do something like that again.

 

            She must have telegraphed her doubt, because Khutulun shook her head in disappointment.

 

            “That is why you will fail.”

 

            Without another word, she disappeared into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sternberg means ‘star mountain’ in German.
> 
> Horses do roar when they are angry. I looked it up and that is the term they use to describe the sound an angry or confused horse makes. 
> 
> I was looking up women from Uzbekistan and Mongolia to try and see where Khutulun would get her name from. I kept seeing this picture of a woman under Mongolian warrior woman so I clicked on it and read about Khutulun. She was pretty awesome! So, I decided to name this mysterious warrior after Khutulun, the great-great granddaughter of Genghis Khan. Crazy thing is that her Turkish name Aijaruc, means 'moonlight'.
> 
> I know that Varian forgave Cassandra for putting her career aspiration over their friendship in “Great Expotations”, but from personal experience, when you’re angry past grievances that may have been forgiven come back as fuel. Varian may have forgiven her then, but he has since rescinded that and now holds it against her. I’m totally NOT guilty of this!
> 
> Sometimes I feel bad for underusing Cassandra, Eugene, and Pascal, but the story isn’t about them. Pascal is the worst. He fits well in a visual medium, but in written format, he is so hard to incorporate!
> 
> This chapter was quite difficult to write. None of the conversations seemed to come naturally to me, so I hope they read well.


	13. A New Laboratory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian needs to find a place to practice alchemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed last chapter. I won’t lie and say that this has been an easy story to write, because it isn’t, but reading your comments really encourages me to keep going.
> 
> I find myself appreciating this story more and more for all the little details and facts that I’ve been learning. I love history, languages, and figuring out how things work, that’s why I like to share my discoveries with all of you. Sometimes I overdo it and have to scale back.

**Tangled: The Series:**

**A Speculative Continuation**

Part II: The Path in the Shadows

Chapter 13: The New Laboratory

 

            “No! No way am I going to allow you to bring those back into my inn!”

 

            “But I—”

 

            “Don’t think I’ve forgotten last time! Everyone was complaining to me about that horrible stench! I couldn’t open the windows fast enough!”

 

            Varian cringed at the reminder. It had only been a week ago when Rudiger accidently knocked over the beaker holding his powerful stick potion. The resulting odor had practically cleared the inn of it’s occupants. Varian couldn’t blame them. Unlike his lab in Old Corona, his room here was much smaller and lacked the high ceilings and windows that allowed for the quick diffusion of the smoke. This meant that the smell had little place to go except towards the unlucky inhabitants.

 

            Feeling small under Mrs. Sternberg’s accusatory glare, Varian carefully set the box containing beakers, vials, and flasks on one of the unoccupied tables, before collapsing unhappily onto the neighboring chair.

 

           “Then where am I supposed to perform my alchemy?” He muttered.

 

           Mrs. Sternberg sat across from him. “I don’t care as long as it’s not here.” She paused briefly. “Or anywhere else that will get you into trouble!”

 

           Varian glanced over at the woman. “You seem to think I’m a magnet for trouble!”

 

           Mrs. Sternberg raised her eyebrow, but didn’t reply. Instead she shifted her attention to the box and began rummaging through the supplies. She was impressed by how much he had already acquired in the weeks he had been staying with them.

 

           “How do you manage to buy all of this stuff? I find it hard to believe that Mr. Uhr pays you enough to buy this.”

 

           Varian straightened himself. “My earnings from Mr. Uhr makes up the majority, but occasionally people will ask me to fix things.”

 

           “I’ve heard that Mr. Uhr’s shop is quite clean nowadays.” She watched him nod his head. “Why don’t you see if he’ll lend you a spot to work on…all this.” She motioned towards the box.

 

           Groaning, Varian forced himself out of the seat. “I seriously doubt he’ll let me.” He picked the box off the table and turned to exit the building. Before he left, Varian glanced around the room. “Where’s Greta?”

 

           Mrs. Sternberg began rubbing at a mark on the table. “She’s in the marketplace selling apples.”

 

           Varian nodded and trotted out the door. Mrs. Sternberg watched him leave, a faint smile upon her lips. When a sleepy Rudiger came crawling out from under one of the tables, she scratched his ear affectionately.

 

           “You have a funny master, Rudiger.”

 

           It didn’t take long for Varian to find Greta. The market was nearing closing time and the plaza wasn’t as packed as earlier. Careful not to knock over any of the baskets of fruit, Varian sidled up next to Greta.

 

           “Coming to steal from me again?”

 

           “Ha! Ha! Ha! You’re hilarious!” Varian laughed sarcastically.

 

           Greta took her eyes away from the line of people to look at her friend. “Well, don’t you look happy. What’s the matter?”

 

          Varian sighed, leaning against the stone wall behind them. “I woke up early this morning to see if Ole Man Fritz was selling that old alchemy equipment. Well, he was and I managed to buy quite a bit, but—”

 

           “Mom won’t let you bring that stuff into the house.” Greta shook her head sympathetically. “Sorry, Varian, but after what happened last time, do you really blame her?”

 

           “I guess not.”

 

           “She is letting you stay with us for free, so I wouldn’t complain too much.” Greta had turned back to her basket of apples and buffed their red skins to make them shine.

 

           “Believe me, I get it! But, where am I going to practice my alchemy now?”

 

           Greta smiled at the people as they walked by her basket. “What would be the ideal place for a lab?”

 

           Varian thought for a minute. He didn’t want to be too selective. Chances of getting a place like his lab in Old Corona was highly improbable, but if he were to have a steady, safe location, he knew of a couple necessary requirements.

 

           “Some place secluded. I wouldn’t want people barging in on me. I guess it would need to be large enough and have windows to keep the gases from collecting.” Hands clasped underneath his chin, he thought deeply. “Oh, and good lighting!”

 

           “Would you like a personal butler too?” Greta snickered.

 

           “That would defeat the ‘not wanting people to come barging in’ aspect.”

 

            She rolled her eyes, but didn’t respond. While she was still facing outward, her eyes narrowed. Greta began drumming her fingers on the armrests of her wheelchair.

 

            When she finally spoke, her voice was halting. “Look, I’d love to help you, but the market doesn’t close for another hour.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Meet me by the west bridge and maybe we can figure something out.”

 

            Varian looked at her skeptically. “We’ll figure something out? That sounds reassuring.”

 

            Greta shoved him playfully. “Hey! Get out of here! Can’t you see I have to tempt these people into choosing my apples? How am I supposed to do that with you spreading your negativity everywhere?”

 

            Chuckling, Varian let her bat him away from her stall. He’d gotten used to her jocular teasings and had come to appreciate their levity. With the plan of meeting in an hour, Varian set off with his box to find something to do.

 

            The past few weeks had given Varian plenty of time to explore the town of Himmel. There were lots of shops lining the streets, though the ones that caught his interest the most, tended to be hidden, away from reputable eyes. Mrs. Sternberg had tried to prevent him from visiting the more shady locations, but in search of the cheapest prices, Varian gravitated towards the people of less prestigious standing. In exchange for tools and equipment, he’d often fix things for them, occasionally making additional money from those who had nothing to offer. Still, the greatest source of his small income, came from Peter Uhr’s watch and clock shop.

 

            Varian pushed open the door to the workshop and stepped into the now spotless locale. The light from the candles reflected off the newly polished glass from the various clocks around the room. Mr. Uhr wasn’t behind the front counter as usual, but he could be heard whistling from the other room.

 

            Not bothering to keep his presence a secret, Varian strode across the squeaking floorboards and popped his head into the back room.

 

            “Hello, Mr. Uhr!”

 

            The old gentleman was hunched over his desk, not bothering to look up from his work. “I thought I told you today was your day off. I’m not going to pay you!”

 

            Varian set his crate down. “I’m not here to work. I was just in town and thought I’d stop by.”

 

            Mr. Uhr finally turned away from his project to look at him. However, his eyes immediately landed upon the box on the floor. “The answer is no! I’m not having you experiment in my workshop!”

 

            “I wasn’t even going to ask!” Varian snorted. “Besides, no one will let me perform alchemy anywhere!”

 

            “It probably wouldn’t be such a problem if you didn’t keep causing explosions or horrible odors!” The watchmaker folded his arms and peered at Varian from behind his glasses. “Believe me, I smelled it on you when you came in the next day.”

 

            Varian frowned, regretting having mentioned his dilemma to Mr. Uhr. He should have known the man wouldn’t have any sympathy for him. Varian walked over to observe what Mr. Uhr was working on. What he saw made his eyes widen with awe.

 

            “What is that?”

 

            “I thought you said you had a brain.”

 

            Varian pointed his finger in exasperation. “Not the watch. That!”

 

            Mr. Uhr stared at where Varian was pointing. “Oh, that’s just the nacre inlay!” He laughed at Varian’s bewilderment. “Mother-of-pearl is what most folks call it. It’s for a very wealthy customer of mine.” He lifted the watch from the table and held it up in the shaft of natural light that entered the room.

 

            Awestruck, Varian admired the carefully carved animals that decorated the covering. Despite the nacre being a pearly white, each animal shone with iridescent pinks, blues, and greens. It was something he had never seen before.

 

            “Humph! And I thought you only admired something for its function, not its beauty!”

 

 

            Varian folded his arms and scowled. “Just because I don’t see the point in putting so much effort into something, doesn’t mean I’m incapable of appreciating beauty!”

 

            “That’s the point in putting for the effort! To appreciate the beauty!”

 

            Varian didn’t understand why he bothered to argue with the man. He never seemed to win. Unfolding his arms, Varian winced at the familiar aching that his left clavicle still caused him. Mr. Uhr noticed the discomfort.

 

            “How are you healing up?”

 

            Gently massaging his collarbone, Varian answered. “My ribs feel fine, but my collarbone starts to ache when I put too much stress on it. I guess I’ve been carrying that box around too long.” He sighed, glancing at his crate. “It hurts to move it around too much and I can’t lift it over my head, but at least I can use it now.”

 

            Mr. Uhr picked up his chisel. “Well, if you want to stay and watch me carve for a bit, then when you get a little more movement in that arm of yours, I can teach you how do this.”

 

            Varian glanced up at Mr. Uhr in surprise. “You’d teach me?”

 

            The old man gazed intently at the mother-of-pearl. “Somebody’s got to teach you how to respect the effort we artisans put into our work.”

 

            Without saying another word, Varian pulled up a stool and sat down across from the watchmaker, observing the man as he cut into the opalescent shell with practiced skill and a steady hand.

 

            An hour later, Varian said his goodbyes and left the shop. As he wended his way towards the designated meeting spot, Varian couldn’t help but think about the beautiful carving that Mr. Uhr was creating from the mother-of-pearl. It was true that people loved beautiful things and Varian had loved to give them those. His mind went back to the perfume he had made his mother years ago and to the purple gem he had created just to impress Cassandra. Seeing their smiles had gladdened him. Then the reminder that he had attempted to crush Cassandra in his giant automaton came, warping the pleasant memories. Varian groaned, but stopped when he saw the townspeople staring at him.

 

            _I really overdid it, didn’t I!_

            He had overreacted by attacking everyone after Rapunzel had failed to free his father. It had been a foolish and extreme reaction and had done nothing to help him or his father; instead, it only served to get him thrown in prison. If he had just retained his composure, he probably could have escaped from Corona and continued hating the princess without being in her debt.

 

            Varian kicked a loose stone into the river running alongside him. Looking up, he saw Greta waiting for him on the bridge. Like him, she seemed to be lost in thought, staring at a group of small children as they chased each other around the bushes lining the bank. It would have been easy for Varian to sneak up behind and startle her, but he knew better than to underestimate her reaction. Things always seemed to go badly for him, whenever he did.

 

            “Greta!” He called, drawing his friend’s attention.

 

            The girl shook her head and turned to see Varian approaching her. “You’re late!”

 

            “Sorry, I was with Mr. Uhr.”

 

            “Then you should have had plenty of clocks to tell you the time!” She muttered crossly.

 

            Varian stopped, surprised at the bitterness in her voice, wondering what had happened to make her so sour. He noticed her eyes kept drifting over towards the playing children.

 

            “They should be careful playing so close to the water’s edge.”

 

            Greta sighed and mumbled so softly, that Varian could barely make out her words. “At least they can still run.”

 

            Varian glanced down at the wheelchair. Since he’d arrived, he modified it to make the wheels turn smoother and add additional comfort for Greta, but there was no denying that the chair was a poor substitute for the ability to walk.

 

            Suddenly, the children’s mothers came calling after them and rushing them away from the running water. Greta turned to face Varian again, her eyes shiny slightly.

 

            “Now, weren’t we going to find a place for you to do your alchemy?”

 

            Varian silently nodded and watched with growing confusion as Greta took the crate from his arms and placed it on her lap over the leftover apples.

 

            “What are you doing?” He asked, scratching the back of his head.

 

            “You’re going to need both hands to push my chair. Today, I don’t feel like rolling myself up to where we’re going.”

 

            “Do you have a place in mind?” Varian’s voice cracked in excitement.

 

            Greta laughed softly. “I thought about it and I think I know the perfect place.” Her face turned to stone and she glared at Varian. “Don’t you dare, tell a single soul about what I’m about to show you!”

 

            Varian met her glare with equal intensity. “What are you going to do? Chuck apples at me?”

 

            “Worse! Nettles!”

 

            “Won’t work! I’m developed an immunity to them!”

 

            Greta grinned. “Probably from getting stung by them too often.”

 

            Shrugging, Varian answered. “Well, they’re a valuable ingredient in some of my potions.”

 

            Greta threw her hands up in the air. “Fine! I give up!” Then she whispered. “But I’m serious about not telling anyone!”

 

            “Lips sealed!”

 

            Appeased, Greta motioned for Varian to push her chair and directed him through the streets. Soon, they had left the town and were heading towards the forest. As they followed the path through the trees, Varian spotted one of the black rocks a couple yards off, but he fought off the urge to go towards it.

 

            _No need to bring her into this._

 

            During the weeks in Himmel, the thought of the black rocks had been pushed to the back of his mind. He felt guilty, knowing that his father remained trapped in his amber prison, but Varian had justified his extended stay with needing to recover from his injuries and gather enough supplies to work on a potential solution. He couldn’t return to his lab and Heilen had been too dangerous for him to stay there, with the Separatists of Saporia lurking about. Himmel was the perfect place for him to recover and prepare for the future.

 

            It had been a while since they had passed the spot where Varian rescued Greta from the bandits, when Greta signaled for Varian to stop.

 

            “Okay. We have to leave the trail now and head up to that hill.”

 

            Obediently, Varian rotated the wheelchair in the direction Greta was pointing. The path had been far from smooth, but now, he was doing his best to keep the chair moving and the wheels from getting stuck behind roots and loose dirt.

 

            “I wondered why you were out so late the day I met you. What were you doing out here?” He gritted through his teeth.

 

            “You’ll find out. We’re almost there anyway.” She looked up at him. “You’re sweating!”

 

            “Yeah. This ground doesn’t exactly make it easy to maneuver around.”

 

            Greta smiled mischievously. “Why do you think I asked you to push me?”

 

            Panting, Varian let go of the handles and strutted past Greta, leaving her behind while he explored ahead.

 

            “Hey! Get back here!”

 

            Varian ignored her, staring up in awe at the great stone structure before him. It was a building that had been cut out of the dark stone. From a distance, it would have blended perfectly into the craggy hillside, but up close, Varian could make out the windows and doorway that betrayed its existence.

 

            Varian walked across the leafy forest floor and opened the door. Suddenly, he heard a suspicious thud.

 

            “Aahh!” Varian yelled, suspended in the air by a thick net. “Greta!”

 

            “Be quiet!” Greta came wheeling around the corner, having put the basket and crate down. Once she spotted Varian, she burst into hysterical laughter. Through her guffaws, she struggled to speak, wiping tears from her eyes. “Oh ho! You so deserve that for leaving me back there!”

 

            “Wha—What—Why do you have a trap here?”

 

            Greta rolled herself under Varian and through the open door. “I told you this place was secret. Now if you want me to release you, you should apologize for just abandoning me over there!”

 

            Irritated, Varian twisted around in the net, trying to find some way to free himself: there was none. He sagged into the thick cords and grumbled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you back there.”

 

            “Not too polite, but I shouldn’t expect you to be a gentleman.”

 

           Greta fidgeted with something behind the door and Varian crumpled to the floor. He jumped upright and brushed himself off in an attempt to preserve some dignity.

 

           “Thanks.” Varian said sarcastically.

 

           “But seriously, you shouldn’t go running off when you don’t know where you’re going. You could have hurt yourself.”

 

           Varian scowled and retreated to where he had left Greta and picked up their belongings. He returned and joined her inside the stone building.

 

           The rough exterior belied the homely interior. Inside, there was what looked like someone’s living quarters. A small bed was shoved into the corner along with a small table and wash basin. Just left of the door was a wooden ramp that wound upwards to another room. Greta wheeled herself up the ramp and disappeared from view.

 

            Varian continued to look around the room. Despite Greta having frequented the place, the room looked undisturbed. It reminded him eerily of his father’s room, which he hadn’t entered since he’d found the graphtyc in the mysterious chest. There was no way that this room had been Greta’s. Every night he ate dinner with her and her mother and sister, before saying goodnight and it was too dangerous for her to come up here alone when it was dark. The only indication of the person who had lived there, were the initials, C.B. stitched onto the crisp linens.

 

            _Who’s C.B.?_

            Varian turned to follow Greta up the ramp to the second floor. He thought he’d been impressed with the edifice of the building, but that paled in comparison to the magnificent dome and telescope that was angled beneath it. He quickly noted the various charts, drawings, and instruments that were neatly lining the circular room, but his eyes kept coming back to the massive wooden telescope and the stairs that led to the eyepiece in the middle of the room.

 

            “What the—” Varian mouthed.

 

            “There’s a side room over there where you can set up your lab. It should meet all of your requirements.”         

 

            He spotted the door and headed towards it, his eyes still firmly fixed on the telescope. It took nearly running into the wall, for Varian to become aware of his surroundings again. He peered into the side room to survey his potential laboratory.

 

            The space was decently sized and had plenty of openings to look out at the forest below and let air and light inside. It would be easy for any excess vapors to disperse from the room and the chances of finding a place more private and secluded than this were unlikely. Varian entered and set the box and basket down on one of the empty tables. He couldn’t ask for a better place to perform alchemy.

 

            He carefully surveyed the room, imaging where he would put his vials and other instruments, before turning back towards the room with the large telescope.

 

            “Greta! What are you doing?”

 

            Wheelchair left at the base of the staircase, Greta was step-by-step pushing herself up the stairs to the eyepiece. Her tongue was sticking out in concentration as she lifted each leg to the next stair and pushed herself upwards to sit on the level above.

 

            She grunted, “What does it look like I’m doing?” She continued her climb to the top of the stairs and pulled herself into the small wooden chair in front of the telescope. Victorious, she leaned back against the chair and swung her tired arms back and forth, stopping to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead.

 

            Varian glanced at her feet sticking out from under her dress. “You seem awfully agile for someone who can’t use her legs.”

 

            Greta smiled, still breathing heavily. “I’m not completely paralyzed. I have minimal movement. Either way, I can’t rely on people to carry me up the stairs, especially here.” She waved her hand gesturing at the whole room.

 

            “What is this place and how did you find it?”

 

            “Well, after my accident, I wasn’t able to go to school and was stuck inside the inn all day.” She sighed. “It was really boring, being confined to my bed. Heidi would come home and tell me what she learned from the teachers, but she wasn’t the best educator.

 

            “I was miserable and wasting away, but there was this woman who came to our inn every week. She took pity on me and started to teach me about the heavens.” Greta motioned dramatically towards the domed ceiling. “I was fascinated and eventually, when I got my wheelchair and was able to move around, she invited me to come help her at this observatory.”

 

            “So, this is an observatory?” Varian glanced around at the charts showing complex vectors, equations, and graphs.

 

            “Yes. I learned so much about astronomy that I fell in love with the science.”

 

            “But doesn’t it need to be dark outside to see the stars?”

 

            Greta’s face fell. “Well, technically, no. You can still see some things, but, yeah, it’s a lot harder to see all the stars when it’s light outside. I used to be able to stay the night here and use the telescope, but one day my teacher disappeared and Mom wouldn’t let me stay here during the night.” She looked up at the telescope longingly. “It’s been a year since I’ve been able to observe the stars at night. I’ve really only been able to look at her notes and try and makes sense of what she was working on.”

 

            “Who was the woman?”

 

            Looking through the eye lens, Greta answered. “Caroline Balthasar. She was the smartest woman I ever knew, but I don’t think she’ll ever come back.

 

            “Why? If she left a lot of her research here, I don’t think she would simply abandon it!”

 

            “That’s why I’ve been studying her notes. She was behaving rather erratically right before she vanished. That trap at the door was her idea and believe me there are plenty more of them. There were nights when she wouldn’t even look up at the stars and focused solely on her notes and calculations.”

 

Varian frowned, realizing what the C.B. stood for and wondering what could possibly have happened to the woman. Deep within his chest, he felt an uncomfortable stirring that seemed to indicate that there was more to Ms. Caroline Balthasar than her clean sheets and love of astronomy. For starters, why did she seclude herself in this secret observatory and place traps to catch possible intruders.

           

            _What was she hiding?_

 

            Greta fondly touched the telescope and smiled sadly. “This place means a lot to me and I need to know what happened.”

 

            It suddenly dawned on Varian, that Greta had been reluctant to show him this place. All of her warnings about keeping it a secret and her initial reluctance to say where they were going, indicated that she wasn’t comfortable with sharing this part of her life with others.

 

            “Why did you bring me here?” Varian whispered.

 

            Greta’s head snapped upward. “You said you needed a lab and this place fit the description. Or have you already forgotten that?” She teased.

 

            Varian shook his head. “There are plenty of places we could have looked at. You didn’t want to bring me here at first, but after I left you in the market, something changed your mind. What was it?”

 

            Greta’s eyes flitted towards the neatly stacked papers on the table, then back to Varian’s face. “I don’t know much about alchemy, but it seems to require a good amount of intelligence, which you claim to have. I know a lot about astronomy, but I think between the two of us, we can better decipher what Ms. Balthasar was working on.”

 

            His stomach filled with dread. Varian knew he had his own problems to solve and shouldn’t be taking on anyone else’s missions. But Greta looked so hopeful, having even invited him to use her special observatory as a makeshift laboratory. He knew he ought to do something to help her.

 

            “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do what I can to help you.” He gazed at the charts. “However, a bunch of these look like they can only be observed at night time. If we’re to work on this, we’ll have to ask your mom’s permission to spend the night here.”

 

            Greta clasped her hands together enthusiastically. “That shouldn’t be a problem! I’ll ask her tonight! As long as I’m not alone, she should be fine with it!”

 

            Varian knitted his brow. He wasn’t so confident that Mrs. Sternberg would be fine with Greta spending the night in the abandoned observatory with him. Not that he thought she distrusted him; Mrs. Sternberg had shown him a great deal of affection and appreciated his friendship with Greta. No, if anything, she wouldn’t approve of the two of them being alone in the forest where bandits roamed about, threatening poor travelers. However, he didn’t want to rain on Greta’s parade. Perhaps, just maybe they could convince her to let them.

 

            _I guess I should work on creating more offensive chemicals to use, just in case._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, I hope you all can understand why I’ve chosen certain names. 
> 
> Greta has the infamous ‘concentration tongue’, which is something that I possess. I thought it would be a nice touch to show the amount of focus needed to pull off the things she does.
> 
> Fun Fact: The Kingdom of Prussia was one of the first countries to have free public education. Prussia was the name for 18th century Germany (relatively).
> 
> Caroline Balthasar has an interesting name. Caroline comes from Caroline Herschel who was a German astronomer and discovered numerous comets. She was the first woman to be awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Balthasar is an Italian or German first or last name that comes from one of the suggested names for the magi that followed the Star to Bethlehem. Originally, she was a man by the name of Nicolaus Balthasar, (Nicolaus came from Copernicus) but I realized that Mrs. Sternberg probably wouldn't have allowed her daughter to be at an observatory at night with a man. Also, the show already has Lord Demanitus, I figured having an intellectual female mentor would be a welcome inclusion.


	14. A Promise of Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and company come across a hostile environment and some familiar faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, but sorry for taking forever to publish this chapter. I had it half-written months ago, but got distracted with graduation, moving, work, and applying for graduate programs.
> 
> I miss the good old days when my only responsibility was eating and sleep. Oh to be a baby again!

Tangled: The Series:  
A Speculative Continuation

Part II: The Path in the Shadows

Chapter 14: Promise of Protection

 

Eugene watched as Rapunzel scratched herself in annoyance. She wouldn’t complain, but he could tell she disliked the rough material of the clothing they had bought. Wool in the summer was not a pleasant combination.

He leaned forward, whispering. “Uncomfortable?”

Rapunzel paused. “Is it really as dangerous as you say?”

Eugene’s eyes narrowed. They were heading into the Kingdom of Budveis, east of Equis. “I’ve never been there personally. It’s the poorest of the Seven Kingdoms—”

“So, there was nothing for you to steal?” Cassandra jibbed.

“Even in poor countries there are things to steal! No, I didn’t go there because I valued my life! That kingdom is notoriously corrupt and if I were to be caught, I wouldn’t be surprised if I would meet some grisly end before I even stood trial!”

Eugene watched as Rapunzel swallowed deeply. He could tell that she wanted nothing more than to turn in the opposite direction and head to another kingdom; however, with the rocks as their guide, she had no choice but to follow them. Eugene looked down at his own unfashionable clothing. They’d all changed their clothing in an attempt to avoid unwanted attention as they neared Budveis.

They continued their journey in silence; a sense of foreboding looming over them. Out of the corner of Eugene’s eye, he could spot the dark shape of the spikes jutting from the ground a couple of meters away. Suddenly, he spotted a flash of sunlight, blinding him briefly. When the light had disappeared, Eugene noticed several pairs of eyes hidden within the foliage. It didn’t take long for him to connect those eyes to the bright light. Concealed expertly in the brush was armor that at certain angles reflected the brilliant sunrays, betraying their location.

Voice low, Cassandra broke the silence. “Don’t say anything, but we’re surrounded by soldiers.”

“Are you sure?” Rapunzel whispered.

“She’s right. I saw them just now. They’re hiding themselves in the bushes.”

Maximus and Fidella snorted nervously, but continued moving forward. Pascal crawled out of Rapunzel’s satchel and climbed up to her shoulder. He turned himself into a dark shade of brown, the same as her dress.

Eugene placed his arm around Rapunzel reassuringly. “Everything is going to be okay. Just don’t mention you’re a princess or that we’re from Corona. They have no reason to harm us.”

“HALT!”

The horses froze in place. An entire battalion of soldiers clad in green armored uniforms, stood before them, pointing their sharp spears in their direction. Feeling Rapunzel stiffen underneath his arm, Eugene pulled her in closer to him. To their left, Eugene cold just barely tell that Cassandra’s hand was placed on her rapier concealed under her cloak.

One of the men astride a horse and glaring at the trio, spoke. “You are trespassing upon the lands of our noble leader, King Rudolf! State your business or you will be arrested!”

Eugene quickly took action. He’d heard that King Rudolf was a superstitious ruler and any hint of the occult would attract his attention, unwanted or not. If they said they were following the rocks, he believed they would be hauled before the monarch and harshly punished for their silence.

“Oh! We didn’t realize that this is King Rudolf’s land. We were just travelling to visit family and must have taken a wrong turn at the fork. We’ll just turn back and take the right path.” He beckoned casually at the flattened road behind them.

The leader’s eyes only narrowed. “I highly doubt that. We don’t have travelers around these parts.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be travelling in these parts if we’d taken the correct path.”

Gaze turning from Eugene to focus on the horses, the man continued. “Those are some fine horses. I can imagine it must have been difficult for people as impoverished as you to purchase beasts of such high quality.”

Maximus snorted angrily alongside a furious Fidella, their riders struggling to keep them from charging the soldiers. Eugene knew that a breaking point was fast approaching. His attempt to ease the soldiers and get away had failed. Plus, what the soldier had said was true, their magnificent horses didn’t match their poor apparel. Years of experience running from soldiers had taught Eugene to be well aware of all the options available to him. His mind began racing through every recourse, evaluating priorities, possibilities, and likelihoods. 

The guards are interested in the horses. We could bribe them with the horses and hope that they let us go.

No! These aren’t moral men! If we bribe them, they’ll just take the horses and arrest us for trying to corrupt the military!

If we cause a scuffle, we can leave Max and Fidella and make a run for it. Rapunzel was determined to follow these rocks. We can’t turn around without finding answers!

So, we just leave Max and Fidella in the hands of corrupt officials? How is this a good idea?

They can take care of themselves. They’ll escape and meet up with us later!

This plan has too many variables.

It’ll be fine! The guards will focus on the horses and we’ll slip away. I think they care more for them then they do for us.

Eugene finished his internal argument and sat upright in the saddle, his right hand finding Rapunzel’s and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“They are quite the fine catch, aren’t they? We found them abandoned a few days back. Something must have happened to their previous owners.” Eugene continued to speak in his charming fashion. “I’ll tell you what. Since you’re so interested in these horses, my friends and I would be willing to sell them to you for a decent price.”

As expected the captain broke into laughter, quickly followed by his subordinates. “You think we’d be paying trash like you for them? You’re trespassing upon Budveis lands and so you are property of King Rudolf.”

Eugene felt Rapunzel tense up in front of him. Beside them Cassandra was on the verge of attacking the men. The tension palpable, Eugene knew that once someone moved, all havoc would break loose. He was determined to be that someone.

He dismounted to Rapunzel and Cassandra surprise. Extending his hand to the princess, he helped her off Maximus’s back. “We don’t want any trouble. We’ll give you the horses and be on our merry way.” Ignoring the puzzled looks from the soldiers, he took Maximus’ reigns in his hands and slowly approached the captain. With each step, he whispered instructions to the white stallion. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Cassandra hissed. “We can’t just hand over our horses to them!”

Eugene turned to look at the angry woman. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine!” His cheery intonation remained strictly to his mouth, failing to reach his eyes which were uncharacteristically serious.

Cassandra peered in his brown eyes suspiciously. With a sigh, she relented and slipped off Fidella before handing the reigns to Eugene and planting herself beside a worried Rapunzel. Eugene continued to approach the wary guards; their captain following Eugene with narrow eyes. 

When Eugene was less than two meters from them, the captain raised his hand and two men to his left darted out to take the horses from him. Eugene handed them the reigns politely and backed away both of his arms raised over his head. Max and Fidella were being led to the back of the soldiers, while Eugene carefully retreated to Rapunzel and Cassandra.

“Thank you for your cooperation, but I’m afraid that we can’t just let you go on your “merry way”. As I said earlier, you have trespassed upon King Rudolf’s lands and—”

CLANG!

The captain fell forward, unable to finish his sentence. Behind him, a furious Maximus stood with Rapunzel’s signature cast iron frying pan clenched in between his teeth. The guards stared at the stallion confused as to what had happened to their leader. Soon Maximus and Fidella were charging wildly through the ranks, distracting the soldiers from their human targets.

“Hurry! We’ve got to make it through!” Eugene whispered as he pulled Rapunzel and Cassandra away from the commotion and in the direction the rocks had been leading them. 

Realizing that all was going according to plan, Cassandra wrenched her hand out of Eugene’s grip and unsheathed her sword. There weren’t any soldiers in their path, but she dived to the side upon hearing a warning whistle. Two arrows pierced a tree right where her head had been a moment prior. Eugene glanced in the direction of the skirmish and spotted a couple of soldiers that had seen their escape and had diverted their attention to them. Having missed, they were starting to pursue, when one of them put his hand out halting them.

“No point pursing them. Where they’re going, they’ll wish they had come with us!”

Eugene didn’t have time to consider his words before the men were out of sight, lost in the wild brush of the forest.

Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene continued to flee through the trees. They were heavily outnumbered, even though Maximus could easily handle a dozen soldiers on his own. After what seemed like an eternity, they stumbled out of the forest and fell down. Breathing heavily, the three of them lay there taking deep gulps of air, while their beating hearts slowed. Eugene was still exhausted, but he managed to sit up and take a look at their surroundings. The land before them was unnervingly still. A small village was visible in the distance, but the surrounding fields were barren. He looked down at the dirt beneath them; it was dry with large cracks breaking up the earth, resembling a snakeskin. It was apparent that it hadn’t rained in quite some time.

They stood up and brushed the dust from their clothing. While Cassandra helped pull twigs and leaves from Rapunzel’s hair, Eugene listened carefully to hear whether or not they had been followed. They hadn’t.

“Was that your plan, Fitzherbert? We could have died!” Cassandra glared at Eugene.

“Well, it was sort of my plan. I didn’t intend for those guards to shoot at us, but all’s well that ends well, right?”

“But what about Max and Fidella? They’re fighting all those soldiers by themselves!” Rapunzel pulled her hood over her head, concealing her blonde hair.

Eugene took her hand in his and gazed reassuringly into her green eyes. “Don’t worry about them. They were only to serve as a distraction for us to run off, before making off themselves. Besides, you’re selling Max short. He can easily sort out those guys back there!”

Rapunzel nodded her head, but he could tell that she was still worried. In truth, ever since they had met Khutulun, Rapunzel had been different. She’d been far more reserved than before, choosing to silently observe her friends, instead of actively participating in their bickering. It was beginning to concern Eugene.

“The rocks appear to be heading over to the village over there.” Cassandra said, while rearranging her cloak.

The three of them took off towards the faint collection of homes in the distance. 

Nearing the settlement, Eugene noticed immediately that something was wrong. There was an eerie silence that lay over the village, punctuated only by an occasional cough or cry. As they passed through the unpaved streets they began to come across people, but unlike the friendly inhabitants of Corona or the bustling crowds of Himmel, these residents trudged about with sunken eyes that were devoid of light.

Eugene looked carefully at Rapunzel to see how she was holding up. He found her staring in shock after a young boy who was tugging his little sister, both of their bellies were swollen from a lack of food.

When the children had disappeared, Rapunzel turned to face Eugene. “What is wrong with this place?” Her eyes glistened.

Eugene turned away from the princess, his eyes downcast. His normally cheery disposition replaced with a somber one. “Not every kingdom is as well off as Corona. In fact, Corona stands out as a shining jewel compared to most the world.” He glanced up at Rapunzel sadly. “Best not to say who you are, Blondie.”

Rapunzel’s eyes still wide in horror, the trio wandered through the streets not knowing where they were going but unwilling to stop and soak in the miserable spectacle surrounding them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra spotted two lone figures following them. Ducking behind crates and make-shift tents, they clearly did not want the group to know that they were being followed. She silently laid her fingers over the hilt of her sword in preparation for another confrontation.

They turned into a narrow-abandoned street. Cassandra motioned for Eugene to protect Rapunzel while she raised her blade to face their stalkers. Surprised, Rapunzel’s eyes widened in alarm when Eugene pushed her behind him. They listened carefully for the secretive duo, but not a sound was heard other than the occasional cough from a sick villager.

They continued to wait: nothing.

Cassandra shifted herself forward to peer around the corner. The street was just as they had left it, without a sign of their followers.

“Ouch!” 

Spinning around, Cassandra spotted Eugene rubbing the top of his head in irritation. Rapunzel had awoken from her daze and dropped to the ground, picking up the rock that had knocked Eugene on the crown.

Not a rock, a comb!

“Eugene isn’t this your comb?”

Eugene stared at the comb in Rapunzel’s hand. It had a curved handle and carved in elegant script was none other than his infamous pseudonym, Flynn Rider. The gears in his head began spinning out of control.

“What? I mean yeah that’s my comb, but what is it doing here of all places? I last gave it too—”

Two small blurs fell upon the puzzled group. Cassandra went to pull out her sword, but to her alarm, her scabbard was empty. Looking up, she found that the comb had been snatched out of Eugene’s hand and Rapunzel’s hood had been pulled back revealing her golden locks. In front of them were two girls with mischievous grins, playfully swinging their stolen items before their faces.

“Angry! Red!” Eugene cried out in surprise and joy.

The two delinquent girls giggled, Red shyly returning to Cassandra her weapon. While the girls had always been small, Eugene noticed that their clothing seemed to hang loosely from their frames. Despite their cheeky grins, they too must have been experiencing the same level of misfortune as the poor residents of the village.

“Long time no see, Eugene!” Angry teased. “Imagine the trouble we could have caused if we had actually been trying to rob you!” She shook her head in shame. “You really have gotten rusty.”

Rapunzel and Cassandra chuckled while Eugene stood affronted. Before he could begin his rebuttal, Rapunzel stepped in and knelt to meet the girls’ eye level.

“Oh, how I’ve missed the two of you!” She smiled warmly.

Red returned the smile with her own shy one as Angry replied, “We’ve missed you guys too!”

The joyful reunion was soured when Cassandra spoke. “How did the two of you end of in a place like this? I don’t think there is anything you could even think to steal from this place.”

“Hey! We haven’t stolen a thing since we left Corona! We decided to turn over a new leaf and make something honest of ourselves.”

Eugene eyed them skeptically. “And that brought you here?”

Angry refused to meet his eyes. “Well, this is where we’re from. Might as well start here in Sterben.”

“But this place is so—” 

“You can blame the king for that!” Angry spat, living up to her name. “This place could prosper, but with taxes, unfair punishments, and who knows what other criminal activities he allows, nobody here has the willpower or the strength to fight back.”

Cassandra leaned against the stone walls. “So, you intend to incite a rebellion, at your age?”

“Where’s Lance?” Everyone was startled by Red’s question. Her soft voice quivering.

The trio recognized the change in subject but decided to go where the girls wanted. They were obviously hiding something.

“Good ole’ Lance is working at the Snuggly Duckling as their newest chef!” Eugene bellowed in his most bombastic tone. “They needed an upgrade from their usual fare.” He winked at Red.

“Is he making cupcakes?”

“Loads of them!”

“Savory pies?”

“Too many to count!”

“If only I could have a taste!”

Eugene flinched in realization. Here he was talking about mountains of delicious foods, when these girls probably hadn’t had a proper meal in weeks. He wasn’t alone. Out of the corner of his eye, Rapunzel was reaching into her satchel and pulling out what little food was on her person. A roll of bread, a wedge of cheese, and a rosy apple. Eugene quickly followed suit with Cassandra doing the same.

The children’s eyes widened in shock and they leapt on the food, devouring the meager offering in haste. 

While the ate, Rapunzel tentatively asked, “Why doesn’t anyone have food here? Surely there must be farmers!”

In between bites, Angry responded. “Oh, there are, but something poisoned the crops and what little survived made everyone sick. Most people would have left, but again the king stopped anyone from leaving.”

“WHY?”

“There was some story about preventing a plague from spreading, but I don’t believe it. He’s just that bad.”

Angry returned to eating giving Red a chance to speak. “There are some people in the village who do have food, but they never share and are really mean.”

“Really mean! We tried to steal from them, but—” Angry’s voice slowed to a whisper before stopping.

“What do you mean?” Rapunzel inquired, but Angry and Red refused to answer, making it clear that there was no point attempting to continue the conversation at that point.

During their reunion, the sun had begun to set, casting dark shadows over their group. The two young girls led Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene away from the village towards a small outcrop of stone. Snuggled within the stones was their makeshift camp. Considering their circumstances, it wasn’t a surprise that many of the luxuries the three friends enjoyed were lacking, but it wasn’t a miserable place either. A circular fire pit in the center of the camp provided considerable warmth when Eugene finished lighting the kindling and scraps of cloth haphazardly sewn provided the girls with additional protection from any wind that made its way into their rocky home. 

It didn’t take long for weariness to envelop Rapunzel and Cassandra. Soon the two of them and Red had fallen asleep underneath an overhanging, leaving Eugene and Angry to watch the red flames dance in the night air. 

Eugene glanced over at Angry. Her eyes were staring intently at the smoke, but he could tell that wasn’t what she was thinking about.

“We were ten when Lance and I started working for the Baron.”

Angry didn’t move, but it was clear she was listening.

“We were orphans with nothing to our names. We shared everything we owned. My clothes were hand-me-downs from older kids and so were my toys. In fact, the first thing I could really call my own was that comb.” He chuckled painfully, waving at the wooden comb in Angry’s hands. “I guess thinking back on it, I can’t really say that belonged to me either.

“The Baron offered me a way out and I took it. Looking back on my experience, I realize that he didn’t give me a way out. Everything I stole was for him. I left the Baron having only gained a criminal reputation.”

Angry’s eyes were closed, but she was biting her lips. Eugene watched her closely as he continued. “The Baron was full of empty promises that he snared me with.” The tension thickened. “Is that what happened to you two?”

Again, Angry refused to respond; however, she was clearly affected by what he had said. Her back was turned to Eugene hiding her face from him, but from her quivering form, she was most likely crying.

“But I have to ask, if you two were so set on getting away, why would you return to Sterben?”

“We didn’t.”

Eugene waited patiently for Angry to continue. Her normally sarcastic tone had been replaced with an alarmingly fragile one.

“After we left Corona we were tracked down by more of the Baron’s men. They brought us to the Baron and he thought it merciful to send us back to our home since we weren’t interested in working for him anymore.” Suddenly Angry swiveled around to face Eugene. Her dark eyes had large tears streaming from them. “And now we’re going to die here!”

Eugene took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around the small girl, doing his best to comfort her.

“All we wanted was enough food to eat! But I became too greedy! I messed everything up and now Red’s going to die because of me!”

Stroking her dull hair, Eugene spoke as tenderly as he could. “Do you remember how far Lance and I went to save you that first time months ago?” He pulled her in closer, letting her weep into his chest. “Lance may be back in Corona, but I’ll do whatever I must to make sure you girls are safe. I promise.” 

His last words seemed to linger in the air as the young trouble girl cried herself to sleep in his protective embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so happy to bring Red and Angry back, thought their situation isn’t ideal. All that’s missing is Lance!
> 
> Sterben mean dying or to die in German. It is a very depressing name for a very depressing place. I thought about Essen, which is associated with food (word), but there is actually a city called Essen, and I didn’t want the connection. 
> 
> Budveis comes from Budweis, which comes from Budweiser. I personally don’t drink alcohol, but I’m aware of the Corona, Equis, Saporia, connection to different brands of the liquid. I simply decided to stick with the theme. In German, the English ‘w’ is pronounced more like an English ‘v’ (ex. Wernicke sounds like Vernicke; Wernicke’s Area is also a part of the brain that controls speech comprehension and is named after Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist and psychiatrist.
> 
> I took King Rudolf’s name from King Rudolf II, a controversial historical figure. Interestingly, Rudolf II was interested in and a great supporter of astrology and alchemy.
> 
> Thanks to everyone that kept asking whether I would continue this. I always meant to, but the occasional reminders made it so that I couldn’t forget. I appreciate it!


End file.
